Follow this part of the trail
10 articles
Summer in Montpellier means balmy evenings on the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, where Les Estivales de Montpellier transform the city every Friday from July to August. This guide helps you plan a trip around open-air concerts, Languedoc wine tastings, and crafts markets.
The Madeira Wine Festival is a cultural and ethnographic celebration of the island's fortified wine, centered in Funchal and spreading to nearby towns each year. Expect the Madeira Wine Lounge at Praça do Povo with tastings and themed dinners, grape stomping in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, concerts, and the chance to explore historic wine lodges. Since dates and venues shift annually, always verify the current schedule through the official Visit Madeira site before you book.
Bordeaux Fête le Vin turns the quays of the Garonne into a two-kilometer wine route every two years. Admission is free, but a tasting pass unlocks the pours. Compare the Pass 4 and Pass 10+, learn what each includes, and get practical tips for buying passes online in advance and enjoying the festival responsibly.
The Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction takes place every third Sunday of November in Beaune, France. The weekend is packed with events: street performances, a half-marathon, cellar visits, tastings, and the world-famous charity auction. Our guide helps you navigate the schedule, know what's free, and plan your trip—including how to reach Beaune from Dijon.
A Mount Etna wine tour from Taormina typically combines guided winery visits with tastings of volcanic wines and Sicilian food, all set against dramatic landscapes. This guide explains what to expect, how tours differ, and what to check before booking.
There is no single annual 'Cinque Terre wine festival' in Manarola, but the village is the heart of the region's wine culture. Taste Cinque Terre DOC whites and Sciacchetrà, meet winemakers at Cantina 5 Terre or Cantina Marinella, and plan your visit around the grape harvest.
Sciacchetrà is a rare, amber passito wine made from partially dried grapes grown on the steep terraces of Cinque Terre. In Manarola, you can taste it at charming cantinas like Cantina Buranco and Nessun Dorma, often after a short vineyard walk. The harvest runs from September to October, making autumn the ideal time for a visit.
The vendemmia transforms Montepulciano from late August through mid-October. Harvest dates shift with each vintage, but the atmosphere is reliably electric: cellars buzz with activity, wine bars pour Vino Nobile alongside fresh olive oil, and the countryside glows with autumn color. To taste the region's noble wine at its most authentic, plan ahead—book cellar tours in advance and consider staying overnight to savor the season.
The Alba White Truffle Fair in Piedmont is a seasonal highlight, mixing a busy general market with paid tasting sessions. This guide explains the different experiences, ticket expectations, and timing so you can plan a rewarding visit, even if you miss the main market weekends.
Douja d'Or is a national wine competition and festival held in the historic center of Asti, Italy, each September. For ten days spanning two weekends, visitors can taste hundreds of DOC and DOCG wines, watch top chefs present signature dishes, and join cultural events. This guide explains the competition's scoring system, what to expect, how to plan your visit, and how it connects to the Palio and the Festival delle Sagre.
