1 - Trentino-Alto Adige: the apples of the Non Valley and Sole Valley
Yellow, small and golden, or red and crunchy: the autumn fruit par excellence in Trentino-Alto Adige is the apple. There’s no better place than the Non Valley and Sole Valley, tucked between the Brenta Dolomites and Stelvio National Park, for tasting the local DOP apple varieties, from Renetta to Red Delicious and Golden.
In Trentino, harvest time is a non-stop festival. In fall over five thousand commercial farms, many of them family-run, gather the fruits of a year’s labour. Orchards laden with apples extend across the rolling hills crossed by the Noce river. Protected from the chilly northern winds, the trees are ideally positioned for optimum ripening of the fruit.
From the famous Lake Tovel, to the striking sanctuary of San Romedio and darling hamlets of stone and wood, autumn in Trentino Alto Adige is truly magical. Come taste apples right off the tree, sip a glass of cider fireside, or enjoy a slice of warm strudel in a cozy “maso”, a typical Trentino farmhouse.
2 - Apulia: Salento extra-virgin olive oil
A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil is the secret to Mediterranean cuisine. Some of Italy’s finest olive oil comes from Apulia’s Salento province, where endless rows of age-old olive trees grow in the red soil lined by ancient stone walls.
In late autumn, freshly picked olives has just been pressed. From delicate and smooth to green and piquant, the olio novello varies in strength and flavor depending on the varietal, time of harvest and ripeness of the fruit. Salento grows two main types of olives: Ogliarola Leccese and Cellina di Nardò. The twisted, gnarled tree trunks are warmed by the sun’s rays year-round and thrive in the sea breeze and ideal temperate climate.
A veritable cornucopia, Salento is a haven for travelers, especially after summer’s crowds have waned. Take a drive in countryside past pretty churches and stop in the squares of Messapic villages for an espresso and people-watching. Follow food and wine routes that wind past local farms, take a bicycle ride through the vineyards of Leverano and Depressa, and delve into history on a guided tour of the castles in Grecìa Salentina or archaeological sites in Ugento and Poggiardo.
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Photo credit: Robert S. Donovan, Luca Nebuloni.