Fall brings some of the best food and wine experiences worldwide. Here’s where to find amazing culinary adventures during harvest season:

Bordeaux: Wine Lover’s Paradise

September and October mark harvest time in Bordeaux’s vineyards. Join a château tour where you can pick grapes alongside local workers, learn traditional pressing methods, and taste young wines still in barrels. Many estates offer special harvest lunches with regional specialties like duck confit and cannelés.

Barcelona: Cava & Catalan Cuisine

Just outside Barcelona, the Penedès region buzzes with activity during fall harvest. Small-group tours take you through family-owned cava producers where you’ll see the traditional méthode champenoise in action. Back in the city, hit the markets where fall mushrooms (especially rovellons) star in seasonal dishes.

Sicily: Olive Oil & Wine Traditions

October brings olive harvest across Sicily. Family farms around Palermo welcome visitors to join the picking process and watch cold-pressing techniques that haven’t changed for generations. Pair this with wine tasting near Mount Etna, where volcanic soil creates unique mineral-rich wines harvested through September.

Lyon: Truffle Hunting & Cheese Making

Fall marks black truffle season in the areas surrounding Lyon. Book a tour with trained dogs to hunt these prized ingredients, then learn to cook with your finds. The same region produces exceptional cheeses, with many small producers opening their doors during harvest season.

Tokyo: Sake Production & Fall Flavors

September marks rice harvest in Japan and the beginning of sake production season. Tours outside Tokyo show the labor-intensive process from rice polishing to fermentation. Fall also brings matsutake mushrooms and sweet potatoes to seasonal menus across the city.

Porto: Port Wine Harvest

The steep banks of the Douro Valley light up with activity in September and October. Some quintas (wine estates) still crush grapes by foot and welcome visitors to join this tradition. After trying your hand at stomping, sample different port styles while overlooking the terraced vineyards.

Melbourne: New World Wine Regions

The Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne offer excellent harvest experiences. Though their main harvest happens February-April, fall brings release celebrations and barrel tastings of previous vintages. Look for small-batch producers offering behind-the-scenes cellar tours.

Istanbul: Spice Markets & Raki Production

Fall brings new spice harvests to Istanbul’s markets. Food tours through neighborhoods like Kadıköy introduce visitors to seasonal specialties like fresh figs, pomegranates, and new olive oils. Some tours include visits to small raki producers where you’ll learn about Turkey’s anise-flavored spirit.

Where will your taste buds take you this harvest season?