Since we'd been homebodies all of Sunday, my partner suggested we go for an evening walk. It was around 5pm, there was still light outside. We exited the apartment through the doorway that leads to the courtyard of the J. Höfstatter winery. He led me up the short flight of stairs that connect to the office, past the two lemon trees. Within seconds, we were trailing through vineyards, stopping occasionally to pick and snack on the salmon-hued remnants of this year's Gewürztraminer harvest. There was a light wind that would cause the trees to sway, showering the ground with their dried yellow, red, and golden leaves. Even the vines had turned from ripe green to yellow. Autumn was well underway. In the region of Sudtirol, Italy, this season is synonymous with celebration. Even though certain varieties of grape and apple are yet to be harvested, the bulk of this year's labour has been accounted for.

We'd spent the previous evening at Winegassl, an autumn celebration that takes place along a tiny street in Tramin. You pay a deposit of five euros for a wine glass, and pay as little as three to four euros to sample wines from local producers, including the Tramin co-operative's winery. There was a musical line-up, quite literally, as we walked through the lane (gassl) we encountered a range of musical acts, from folk to contemporary. The celebrations continued until midnight. This is also the season for a dining ritual unique to the region, called Törgellen. You are meant to hike your way to a specific kind of restaurant to enjoy a specific spread consisting of meats, sausages, sauerkraut, and finally, roasted chestnuts with butter.