Cari Amici - Dear Friends,

Welcome to this week's issue of the italymag.co.uk newsletter.

Autumn has come to Northern Italy, where I am staying at the moment, turning leaves a lovely shade of golden yellow. At the same time, chestnuts and the very first porcini have landed in the fruiterer near my flat and I am having a hard time not to blow the budget on them (the porcini more than the chestnuts). This is a dangerous time to be in Italy, for both waistline and pocket. There is just so much good food and so many great sagre, fiere, and festivals devoted to anything from cheese to wine, from chocolate to truffles that it is hard to keep appetites in check. But if you want to limit yourself to just three of the best autumnal food events, here are my favourite ones: the Fiera del tartufo in Alba for the world's most aromatic and most expensive truffles; Volterragusto in Tuscany for a month-long cavalcade across cheese, wine, oil and chocolate; and the Salone del Gusto for just about every culinary delight Italy has ever invented.

One food destination I am planning to explore more in the future is Veneto. I know the wines very well, particularly ruby, velvety Valpolicella, but it also has great cheeses and salumi. And, it transpires, great homes. Just now, Casa Travella are selling brand new apartments in a converted barchessa-Venetian-style barn-in a 17^th century estate just outside the medieval town of Este. At the foot of the lush Euganean Hills, on the doorstep of the gastronomic pleasures of the Veneto countryside and one hour and a half's train journey from Venice and three international airports, it definitely sounds like a place worth viewing.

Chocotel Perugia

That said, I have another destination to hit first-the Chocotel in Perugia. I haven't been there yet but heard rave reviews about it - particularly about the little chocolates and pralines strewn around rooms and suites. The Sweet Suite, where there are so many chocolates you get to bring home those that you don't manage to eat during your stay, sounds particularly appealing. It could be a great place to stay if you are headed for Perugia for the Eurochocolate festival

But whether you are at home or Italy-bound, don't forget that Sunday, October 12, is ChocoDay in Italy. Its purpose is to celebrate and raise awareness about cioccolato puro - the one made with just cocoa mass and cocoa butter and no added fats or vegetable oil. I urge you to pick up a bar or six, unwrap them slowly and savour them in style.

Buona settimana!

ITALY Magazine - italymag.co.uk
The N.1 Magazine for lovers of all things Italian