Autumn is a great time to explore Tuscany. The summer crowds are gone, and you have the opportunity to mingle with the families who have lived in their villages for generations, giving you a more authentic glimpse of life as a local.   

The weather couldn't be better. Historically, temperatures range from 60 to 75 degrees so you won't have to lug around suitcases filled with bulky clothing, making it easy to commit to a carry-on vacation. Plan on taking loads of pictures. The autumn foliage appears to change their vibrant colors right in front of your eyes.

Autumn Tuscan food festivals are a delicious way to experience Italy. The sights, sounds, community pride and the culinary cornucopia will contribute to your unforgettable trip to Tuscany. Olive harvesting, truffle hunting, mushroom foraging, chestnut picking and, yes, squid sampling are among our favorite fall festivals.

And the best reason to travel to Tuscany this fall is to attend the Tuscan Women Cook Black Apron Week, an extraordinary seven days of food, wine, cooking lessons and sightseeing available only through Tuscan Women Cook.

Only during Black Apron week will you stay at the tranquil twelve-room Tenuta Santa Pietro, located on a 72 acres of working farmland nestled among vineyards and olive trees in the rolling Tuscan countryside near Pienza. Built in the13th century and lovingly restored, your private villa showcases the original materials and craftsmanship paired with all the modern comforts you've come to expect in a luxury accommodation.

Your week will be rich with insider tours of select historical wonders, including the magnificent Abbey of Sant'Antimo. The foundation of the original Benedictine monastery dates to the time of Charlemagne in a document of the emperor Henry III from 1051.  The Carolingian edifice, richly decorated with animal and vegetable motifs ties beautifully into our Black Apron culinary mission of exploring all things exotic, beautiful and delicious.

New, challenging cooking classes from local women chefs will build your culinary skills and expand your Tuscan palate. Renowned chef Daria Cappelli at Osteria La Porta in Monticchiello invites you into her private kitchen for lessons.

Pack your boots. You'll be on an aromatic truffle hunt with one of Italy's most celebrated truffle teams in search of the elusive white truffle. You'll be cooking with truffle treasures in what will surely be one of your most memorable meals of the week.

Extra Virgin takes on a whole new meaning this week. You'll never look at a bottle of olive oil the same way once you've had the opportunity to harvest your own olives and press them into the ultimate Tuscan souvenir: your personal EVOO.

Special dinners in new locales such as The Michelin Plate Ristorante La Grotta in Montepulciano will provide memorable cinque stelle dining experiences.

During our day at the breathtaking La Foce Garden, an incomparable Val d'Orcia UNESCO World Heritage site, you will enjoy a lunch at their trend-setting restaurant, Dopolavoro.

Wine lovers will have an opportunity to enhance their personal cellars with exclusive private tastings at new vineyards including L'Azienda Agricola Innocenti.  You'll tour Il Paradiso di Frassina vineyards, where Mozart is played day and night though the fields. The owners are a part of a groundbreaking study out to prove that the music is actually helping the vines grow better. You'll dine at Il Paradiso and Enoteca Osteria Osticci, where all your meals will include pairings from some of the most extensive wine collections in Italy.

You will be granted access to some of the region's top artisanal food purveyors. You'll visit their farms and shops for lessons and tastings. You'll spend a full day in medieval Montalcino with local historians, able to lead you way off the tourist track.

Say YES! to Tuscany with your very own Black Apron Week with Tuscan Women Cook. Black Apron Week is October 15-21, 2017. Book Now!

Can't Attend that Week? Tuscan Women Cook offers five additional weeklong programs in September and October 2017. Book now!

The very BEST way to experience autumn in Tuscany is with Tuscan Women Cook.   

--Coleen Kirnan & Rhonda Vilardo