There's a specific moment in September when Piemonte changes. The vines, which have been a lush deep green all summer, begin to turn. The grapes hang heavy on their wires. Tractors appear on the hillside roads before dawn. The air in the evenings smells faintly of fermentation - the sweet, slightly yeasty scent that has meant the same thing in these hills for centuries.
This is "la vendemmia". The grape harvest. And for anyone who loves wine, food, or simply the feeling of being somewhere in the middle of something real, there is no better moment to visit Piemonte.
When does the vendemmia happen in Piemonte?
The harvest in Piemonte doesn't happen all at once - it unfolds in stages through September and into October, with each grape variety following its own schedule.
The first to be picked are typically Dolcetto and Arneis (the white grape of the Roero hills), usually from early to mid-September. Barbera - the grape that gives Nizza DOCG its name, and the one you'll see growing all around Villa Bricco - follows in late September. And finally, Nebbiolo - the great grape of Barolo and Barbaresco - isn't picked until October, when the autumn fog has settled into the valleys and the harvest is nearly done everywhere else.
For visitors arriving in September, this means you'll catch the vendemmia in full swing: the Barbera harvest around Nizza Monferrato and the Asti hills, the Arneis harvest over in the Roero, and the early stages of Nebbiolo in the Langhe.
What does harvest season actually look and feel like?
This is worth being honest about: harvest is a working period. The winemakers are focused. The vineyards are buzzing with pickers, many of them on tight schedules dictated by the weather. You won't walk into a winery and find the owners relaxed and ready for a long tasting in the same way you might in spring or early summer.
What you will find is something more interesting: a region operating at full intensity. The roads between vineyards are busy. Cellars smell extraordinary, fermenting juice, damp stone, new oak. Local restaurants are at their best, cooking the dishes that belong to this season: *bagna cauda*, the warm anchovy-and-garlic dip that appears as the evenings cool; "fritto misto alla piemontese", the elaborate fried mixed platter that takes hours to prepare properly; chestnut pasta in brown butter.
Book winery visits in advance during September. Many estates in the Langhe, Monferrato, and Roero do welcome visitors during harvest, particularly for tastings and guided tours of the cellar during fermentation - it's a genuinely fascinating thing to see. But they need to know you're coming.
What to drink during vendemmia
September is an interesting time to taste wines in Piemonte because you're drinking vintages that have already aged while the new harvest is just beginning. A few things worth seeking out:
"Nizza DOCG Barbera" - the Barbera grown around Nizza Monferrato is entitled to its own DOCG designation, which was awarded in recognition of the fact that this small zone produces some of the finest Barbera in the world. It's a wine of real depth and structure, with high natural acidity that makes it brilliant with food. Many of the best producers are within 15 minutes of Villa Bricco.
"Barbera d'Asti" - the broader Asti designation covers a wide range of styles, from fresh and vibrant to oak-aged and serious. September is a good time to try the younger vintages of the latter.
"Moscato d'Asti" - the sweet, lightly sparkling Moscato grown in the hills above Canelli is at its freshest and most aromatic. Perfect in the late afternoon with a plate of local pastries.
"Roero Arneis" - across the Tanaro river from the Langhe, Arneis produces a dry white wine with a distinctive nuttiness and floral note. It's an underrated alternative to better-known Italian whites and a wonderful aperitivo wine.
Harvest festivals and events in September
Several local festivals take place around the vendemmia in September and early October.
"Cantine Aperte in Vendemmia" (first weekend of September) is the harvest edition of Italy's popular Open Cellars event. Around 40 wineries across the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, and Novara open their doors for tastings, vineyard walks, cellar visits, and in some cases the chance to watch - or even participate in — the harvest itself.
Local "sagre" (village harvest festivals) happen throughout September across the Monferrato and Asti hills. These are community-run events with communal tables, local food cooked in huge quantities, and wine flowing from the producers down the road. They're not always easy to find if you don't know where to look - but worth seeking out. Ask locally or check the Comune di Nizza Monferrato's events calendar.
The "Festa dell'Uva" (Grape Festival) in various Piemonte towns celebrates the harvest with parades, music, and barefoot grape stomping. These events have been running for decades and they're joyful, unpretentious, and very much worth an evening.
Eating well in September in Piemonte
The Piemontese kitchen in September is at its most generous. The summer vegetables are still there - tomatoes, peppers, courgettes - but the autumn ingredients have started to arrive alongside them. Porcini mushrooms from the higher forests. The first chestnuts. Fresh pasta in every form.
Dishes to look for on menus in September:
- Tajarin - the region's thin egg-yolk pasta, served with a Barbera-based meat ragù or simply with butter and sage.
- Agnolotti del plin - tiny pinched parcels of pasta filled with roast meat, dressed in the cooking juices. One of the great pasta dishes of Italy.
- Bagna cauda - the communal dipping pot of anchovy, garlic, and olive oil, kept warm over a flame. It marks the beginning of autumn in Piemonte and appears on tables from September onwards.
- Finanziera - a Piemontese classic of offal and chicken livers in a Marsala sauce, old-fashioned and brilliant.
- Brasato al Barolo - beef braised for hours in Barolo, with vegetables and herbs. The wine is cooked in but the depth remains.
The restaurants around Nizza Monferrato, Canelli, and the smaller villages of the Asti hills are an excellent starting point. You don't need to go to Alba for outstanding food in September — it's right on the doorstep.
Day trips from Villa Bricco during the vendemmia
The villa sits in the middle of Nizza Monferrato's Barbera country, which means you're surrounded by the harvest itself. But a few destinations are particularly worth making time for in September:
Canelli (20 minutes) - a Monferrato wine town whose underground *cantine* (cellars) are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The champagne-method sparkling wines produced here — Moscato and Pinot-based — are exceptional. In September the cellars are accessible and the town is quietly beautiful before the main truffle tourist season begins.
Alba (35 minutes) - the truffle fair hasn't started yet in September, which means you get Alba at its best: busy but not overwhelmed, the old town intact, the restaurants not yet at full fair-season prices. Worth a day, easily.
Asti (30 minutes) - the larger city of the region, with a beautiful medieval centre and one of the finest fish markets in northern Italy (unusual for a landlocked city, but that's Piemonte). The Douja d'Or wine festival takes place in Asti in early September, a well-regarded regional event.
Barolo and Barbaresco villages (45–50 minutes) - the Langhe hills are 45 minutes south of the villa, and a loop through Barolo, La Morra, Barbaresco, and Treiso makes for a spectacular half-day. The tasting rooms are open, the harvest is underway in the Nebbiolo vineyards, and the views are extraordinary.
What to know before you go
- September weather in Piemonte is generally warm and sunny, with cooler evenings from mid-month onwards. Daytime temperatures typically range from 20–26°C early in the month, dropping to 16–22°C by late September. The pool at Villa Bricco is heated and very much in use.
- Book restaurants in advance for weekends in September, especially in Alba and the Langhe villages. Local trattorias in smaller towns are easier to walk into.
- Book winery visits at least a week in advance during harvest. Email is usually the best approach, as phone lines can be unmanned during busy picking days.
- Driving is easy. The roads between Nizza Monferrato, Alba, Canelli, and Asti are scenic and manageable. A car is the only practical way to visit the wineries.
Villa Bricco 46 is available throughout September - six en-suite bedrooms, a private pool, and vineyards stretching away from the terrace in every direction. You'll be watching the Barbera harvest from the pool. Check availability for September →
