Taste Trails in October
- Ireland & UK
- Armagh and Herefordshire harvest, fungi
- Portugal & Spain
- Douro harvest ends; olive harvest begins
- Italy & France
- White truffle, chestnuts
Trail of the month
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Truffle Hunt & Chianti Lunch
Hunt with a truffle family and their dogs, then a long lunch on a Chianti farm.
Full day · from Florence · October to December (white truffle season)
Also in season in October
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Dublin Bay Forage & Feast
Forage sea beet and wild herbs on Howth Head, then eat them with today's catch on the pier.
Half day · from Dublin · Year-round, best April to October
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Douro Harvest Day
Pick grapes with the crew at a family quinta, then take a rabelo boat from Pinhão.
Full day · from Porto · Harvest mid-September to early October; vineyard days April to November
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Pintxos & Txakoli: Basque Coast
Walk the Camino del Norte cliffs to Getaria, taste txakoli above the sea and eat turbot off the grill.
Full day · from San Sebastián · April to October
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Seascapes & Skies: Kerry Weekend
Seafood suppers, then a guided night in Ireland's Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserve.
2 nights, 3 days · Cahersiveen · September to March (darkest skies)
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The Albariño Camino
Walk the Camino Portugués into Albariño country, cross the estuary by boat past the mussel rafts, and finish in Santiago.
9 days, 8 nights · Tui to Santiago de Compostela · April to June, September to October
Day trip
Wicklow Wild Food Walk
Forage the woods with an expert, cook it over a fire, then a country-house lunch.
Full day · from Dublin · March to May (wild garlic), September to October (hedgerow and fungi)
Day trip
Armagh Orchard County
Walk the Bramley orchards, press apples and taste Armagh cider.
Full day · from Dublin · May (blossom), September to October (harvest)
Day trip
Cork Coastal Food Trail
English Market breakfast, Ballycotton fish landing, Kinsale supper.
Full day · from Cork · April to October
Day trip
Secrets of Dublin: Food & Beer
A craft brewery cellar tasting and an Irish farmhouse cheese pairing.
3 hours · from Dublin · Year-round
Day trip
Porto Wine & Dine
Bolhão market tastings, then a port lodge cellar.
3.5 hours · from Porto · Year-round
Day trip
Vinho Verde Day
Walk granite-terraced Alvarinho vines, then lunch at a solar (manor house).
Full day · from Porto · May to October; harvest days early September
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Alentejo Olive Morning
Hand-pick Galega olives, taste the farm's oil and sit down to an Alentejo brunch.
Half day · from Lisbon · October to December
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Arrábida Cheese & Moscatel
An Azeitão cheese dairy, a Moscatel de Setúbal cellar and a coastal lunch.
Full day · from Lisbon · Year-round
Day trip
Flavours of Faro
Olhão market, Ria Formosa clams by boat and the orange groves of Silves.
Full day · from Faro · Year-round; oranges December to April
Day trip
Lisbon Wine & Dine
A petiscos crawl through Alfama that ends with fado.
3.5 hours · from Lisbon · Year-round
Day trip
Bilbao Tapas Trail
Old-town pintxo bars and a tasting at the Ribera market.
3 hours · from Bilbao · Year-round
Day trip
Rías Baixas Mussels & Albariño
Boat out to the mussel rafts, then an Albariño tasting in Cambados.
Full day · from Santiago de Compostela · May to October
Day trip
Santiago Food & Wine
Shop the Abastos market, then cook what you bought.
3 hours · from Santiago de Compostela · Year-round
Day trip
Fruits of the Costa Tropical
Cherimoya, avocado and mango farms in the hills above Almuñécar.
Full day · from Málaga · October to May
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A Taste of Tuscany Walk
Walk the Via Francigena into San Gimignano, then a vineyard tasting.
Full day · from Florence · April to October
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Puglia Olive Press Day
Pick olives in the morning, follow them to the frantoio and taste the oil as it comes out.
Full day · from Bari · Late October to December
Day trip
Chestnut Trail
Gather chestnuts, roast them, and eat chestnut-flour pasta for lunch.
Full day · from Florence · October to November
Day trip
Harvest & Grape Stomp, Provence
Pick grapes, stomp them barefoot, then lunch on an organic farm.
Half day · from Avignon · September to early October
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Route des Grands Crus by Bike
Cycle between Grand Cru villages, then a cellar tasting in Meursault.
Full day · from Beaune · April to October
Day trip
Normandy Cider Route
Pays d'Auge orchards, cider and Calvados cellars, and a Camembert farm.
Full day · from Caen · September to November (harvest), May (blossom)
Day trip
Herefordshire Cider Day
Perry pear orchards and a cider-maker's barn tasting.
Full day · from Hereford · September to October
Weekend
Puglia Olive Harvest Weekend
Two harvest mornings, your own oil from the frantoio, Ostuni and the Adriatic coast.
2 nights, 3 days · Ostuni · Late October to December
Weekend
Alentejo Stars & Olive Oil
The olive harvest by day, the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve by night.
2 nights, 3 days · Monsaraz · October to November
Weekend
Surf & Turf Portugal
Surf lessons in the morning, vineyard evenings and a farm stay.
2 nights, 3 days · Porto · May to October
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Douro Valley Harvest Walk
Walk between quintas, join the harvest and stay among the terraces.
8 days, 7 nights · Porto and the Douro quintas · September to October (harvest), April to June
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Seascapes & Skies: Kerry
A seafood supper every night and two guided dark-sky nights on the Skellig coast.
7 days, 6 nights · Cahersiveen to Killarney · May to September for walking; September to October for walking and dark skies
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Route des Grands Crus
E-bikes along the vineyard lanes, a grower's cellar each afternoon and a Hautes-Côtes blackcurrant farm.
7 days, 6 nights · Dijon to Santenay · May to October
Cycling week
Orchards & Coves of Mallorca
The Sóller orange valley, almond and carob farms, sea-salt flats and seafood in every harbour.
8 days, 7 nights · Palma · March to May, October to November
Walking week
Stars, Sun & Shellfish: Costa Brava
Stargazing at Albanyà, Empordà wine, Llançà shellfish and the Cap de Creus path into Cadaqués.
7 days, 6 nights · Girona to Barcelona · May to June, September to October
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A Taste of Tuscany: Via Francigena
White truffle in San Miniato, Vernaccia in San Gimignano, Chianti farm stays and a pici class in Siena.
7 days, 6 nights · San Miniato to Siena · April to June, September to November