September

Early autumn and the warmth of summer lingers on. On the sunny slopes the vendemmia (grape harvest) and winemaking begin, while in the poplar and hazel woods the white truffle season has begun. With the help of a truffle hunter and his dog, you experience the thrill of discovering this gastronome’s treasure. If you're not in the vineyards or the woods, then this is the month for Lucca, its solemn procession through candlelit streets and exhibitions and markets in every piazza and even atop its Renaissance walls

Sample activities

Pick grapes at a biodynamic vineyard, tour the cellars, taste from the vat
Learn to dye with wine with a creative young designer, tour his vineyard and taste his wine
Hunt for white truffles with truffle hunter and his dog followed by truffle meal at his home
On the 13th observe the procession of the Volto Santo through the candlelit streets of Lucca; magical but boring after a while, so we watch from the comfort of our dining table
Tour the walled town of Lucca with a descendant of one of the thirteen ruling families of the Renaissance
Spend a day in a village where ancient and modern work together in harmony: bake Garfagnana potato bread with the village baker in his wood-fired oven, visit farro fields and state-of-the-art farro polishing machine
Rice, risotto and bird watching among the reeds of Lago Massaciuccoli
Attend one of the autumn village festivals covering the gamut from cheese to cured pork to pheasants & polenta to rare breeds of fruit and vegetables
Learn to make gelato at one of the best gelaterias in Italy
Meals in family restaurants off the beaten track

Ask us for our full menu of activities since we're always finding new interesting producers.