Avoid the crowds this autumn with our pick of the best off-season adventures.

Grape-gathering in Gavi, Piedmont

Autumn is one of the most magical times to visit the northern wine-producing area of Gavi, when the harvest starts and the leaves of the steeply raked vineyards begin to take on an autumnal tinge. Locanda La Raia is a sprawling, biodynamic estate in the Gavi hills with a newly-renovated, 12-room hotel set in an old posting inn.