Vintage Season 2025

Autumn is the moment to enjoy wine country without the rush. Call it the grape harvest or vintage season: tastings, town fêtes, film, and long lunches from September to November. Think easy planning, short drives, and days that mix galleries, sea air and a glass poured by the person who made it.

Montpellier & the Languedoc

Montpellier makes a neat base for vineyard days and city nights. As November winds down, producers pour in the historic centre and the tone is more conversation than crowds. Start with the Musée Fabre, pause for oysters and picpoul, and leave an hour for the sand and wide skies at Villeneuve‑lès‑Maguelone. Hotels and restaurants sit within a compact walk, so you can keep the car parked and the day unhurried.

Costa Brava & Empordà

Empordà is perfect for a three‑part day: a swim before breakfast, medieval villages at noon, and tastings as the light softens. Through September and into early October, courtyards host small concerts and open cellars. Garnatxa and carinyena are the local anchor; a plate of anchovies and tomatoes is all you need beside them

Maresme & Alella

By post‑harvest, Alella is calm and relaxed. Book tastings by appointment, focus on pansa blanca (xarel·lo), and take time to walk the sandy rows that sit just above the sea. A modernista summer house or two offers gentle context, and lunch in El Masnou keeps things simple and coastal. The train from Barcelona turns it into an easy half day: out after breakfast, back before sunset.

San Sebastián & the Txakoli Coast

The txakoli hills around Getaria and Zarautz lean towards the ocean and tastings sit close together. Early October brings chefs and talks to the Kursaal; in November the Behobia race adds a lively note to the boulevards. Watch with a cone of gildas and a crisp glass, then wander the old town for a focused pintxo run. It’s culture and coastline within minutes of each other.

Tarragona, Montsant & Priorat

An hour or two inland, slate and olive trees set a different tempo. Early autumn villages host traditional harvest fêtes; early November shifts attention to Terra Alta’s wine fair and film tied to vineyard life. Use Roman Tarragona as your anchor, amphitheatre, museums, reliable restaurants, and add a single winery visit each day. Roads are winding; light schedules repay you with longer lunches and better views.

Sitges & Garraf

Sitges keeps things sociable. Malvasia de Sitges is the local story, and tastings slot neatly between a beach breakfast and a promenade walk. Cava country is half an hour inland for a sparkle‑heavy detour in early October, while mid‑October belongs to the Sitges Film Festival. Everything is close, reservations help, and sunset seems designed for one more glass.

Galicia: Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras

On the Atlantic edge, mornings run cool and seafood is at its best. Rías Baixas offers curated harvest‑season visits in mid‑September; Ribeira Sacra rewards a slow boat along the Sil followed by a terrace tasting above the river. October brings Lugo’s city fair atmosphere; mid‑November in Ourense means chestnuts and new wine. Albariño is bright and saline; godello brings a broader, fennel‑tinged profile.