7 Things to Do Around Verona This Autumn: Wine Harvest, Villages & Golden-Hour Views

1. Experience Harvest Season in Custoza

Early in the morning, tractors appear on the country roads. For about a month, the air smells of fresh grape juice and the presses are running. Outside, harvest is full of movement and sound; inside the cellar, everything feels surprisingly quiet, as our finest wines slowly age.

At Monte del Frà, you can watch the tractors arrive, snap a selfie with them, taste freshly picked grapes with our family, and book a cellar tour to experience both sides of harvest. It is also the perfect time to discover Custoza wine right where it is born.

Every sound, scent, and moment is part of the magic of this time of year.

2. Slow Down in Borghetto sul Mincio

Borghetto sul Mincio, one of I Borghi più Belli d’Italia, is a tiny medieval village made for slow autumn mornings. Stay overnight at I Balconi sul Mincio, a small and intimate B&B, and wake up to the sound of water flowing through the old working mills.

Wander through its narrow streets, walk up to Valeggio’s Scaligero Castle, and stop for the famous local tortellini. Then, as the day winds down, find a table for an aperitivo and watch the warm sunset colors reflect on the slow-moving waters of the Mincio.

Borghetto is even more beautiful when you give it time.

3. Catch the Autumn Sunset Among the Custoza Vineyards

Autumn sunsets are always special here. On some days, a light mist settles over the countryside, adding a little magic to the vineyards and their warm seasonal colors. For a beautiful view from the moment you wake up, Corte Vittoria is one of our favorite places to stay.

Take a walk through the vineyards, on your own or with a guide, and simply reconnect with nature. At Monte del Frà, you can also book a guided vineyard walk by contacting the winery directly.

4. See Verona from Above

Autumn is one of our favorite seasons for walking around Verona, Italy. The summer heat has softened, the streets feel a little calmer, and you can explore the city without rushing.

Cross Ponte Pietra, wander through the old streets and walk up to Castel San Pietro. From there, Verona opens up below you — rooftops, bell towers, the Adige winding through the city and the hills in the distance.

Stay until the light begins to change.

It’s one of those views that reminds you why Verona is so easy to fall in love with.

5. Join a Local Sagra

After summer, we love getting together again, catching up on the holidays just gone and tasting the first flavors of the new season. And one of the best places to do that is at a sagra: a traditional village festival filled with music, local food, wine and plenty of conversation.

Autumn in our village traditionally begins with Custoza in Festa. If you're here from late September into October, two events worth adding to your calendar are Fiera del Riso in Isola della Scala, running from September 17 to October 13, and the Festa dell’Uva e del Vino in Bardolino, from October 1 to 5. 

Forget being a tourist for an evening. Grab a seat, order something local and join in.

6. Make Time for Art in Verona

Autumn is also the perfect time to slow down and make room for art. Verona is full of museums, exhibitions and unexpected places to discover, but you don’t necessarily have to go into the city to find them.

At Monte del Frà, wine and art meet inside our Art-Winery, where the barrel cellar becomes an exhibition space for contemporary artists. Walk among the barrels, discover the current exhibition and experience the cellar from a completely different perspective.

Wine needs time. Art asks for time. Perhaps that’s why they feel so natural together.

7. Finish the Day with a Wine & Chocolate Tasting

After a day in Verona or wandering through the little streets of Valeggio and Borghetto, come back to Custoza for a different kind of wine tasting near Verona. In September, our Wine & Chocolate Experience returns to Monte del Frà.

Inside the barrel cellar, four of our wines meet four handcrafted chocolates created by Maître Chocolatier Liudmila Pascurova. And don’t expect dessert wines: the fun is discovering how chocolate can work with dry wines too.

Autumn, at Our Own Pace

Autumn here is not really about doing more. It is about noticing more.

The first tractors in the morning, children heading back to school, the smell of fresh grape juice, a quiet walk by the Mincio, a village festival, or that last warm light over the vineyards.

These are small moments, but together they tell the story of a season we love.

So if you are visiting Verona this autumn, take your time. Wander a little, taste what is in season, stop for the sunset — and if your road brings you to Custoza, come and say hello. We’ll be happy to share a glass of wine with you.