Around here there’s a saying—or rather, a general consensus—that the shoulder seasons no longer exist. But the crisp autumn breezes timidly moving through the city as this issue goes to bed have TF staff’s collective fingers crossed for a full-blown fall, the kind that can birth literary one-liners like “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
Whatever the weather may do, Tuscan autumn, even if a mere technicality, always has treasures to fall back on—namely, ones that taste good. Look beyond the market stalls this season and embrace the harvest by popping over to a one-off event or major festival, slipping out of town for a sagra or going all-in for a gourmet foodie course. Jot these palate-pleasing events down in your planner before the dates sneak up on you—winter is on its way, after all.
OCTOBER
Near Florence, homespun chestnut fairs and accompanying celebrations fill up the main squares and case popolari of towns like Marradi (October 7, 14, 21 & 28, tel. 055.8045170), San Casciano in Val di Pesa (October 21, tel. 055.821422) and San Piero a Sieve (October 7, 14 & 21, prolocosanpieroasieve.it), among (many) others.
NOVEMBER
Florence’s Food and Wine Biennale makes its 2018 comeback, this time camped in the Fortezza da Basso and divided into thematic sections: wine and oil; pizza and beer; “food” (all of it. Give us all of it); a cryptic “bartender” space (likely a showcase of cocktail doctors’ skills and specialties); and workshops and tastings. Pizza—particularly new takes on the old standby—gets a larger cut of the pie this year with a full “Piazza della Pizza” and an A-list of pizzaioli-in-residence (November 16-19, biennaleenogastronomica.it).
DECEMBER
A few weeks ahead of the winter solstice, Stazione Leopolda will host major fair Food & Wine in Progress, a joint initiative of AIS (Associazione Italiana Sommelier) and Unione Regionali Cuochi Toscani featuring exclusive masterclasses, cooking shows, conferences on food and wine themes and plenty of products to sample at the stands: think IGT finocchiona, pecorino, prosciutto, truffles and other treats (December 1-2, foodandwineinprogress.it).
ALL FALL
Eataly Firenze (tel. 055.0153601, facebook.com/eatalyfirenze) has a packed calendar of ongoing and one-time-only cooking classes and workshops (held in Italian) throughout the season. Spice up your love life in more than one sense with an evening of Indian cooking for couples titled “Amore, Cucina and Curry” (October 9); let aspiring little chefs get their hands dirty in kid-friendly cooking courses for ages 5 to 12 (October 13, 27; November 24; December 15); learn to make a cappuccino as creamy and buzzworthy as those of the best baristas (October 17, November 21, December 5) or choose from the many more finger-licking options in the lineup.
