Autumn hikes in Lombardy

Harvest, cheese and crotti

Autumn in Lombardy is also harvest time, and in Valtellina you can see it from the valley floor: on the south-facing slope between Morbegno and Tirano, some 2,500 kilometres of dry-stone walls hold up around 750 hectares of terraces, most of them planted with vines, and the art of dry-stone walling has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2018. Here Nebbiolo goes by the name of Chiavennasca and produces two DOCG wines, Valtellina Superiore, with its subzones Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno and Valgella, and Sforzato, made from grapes left to dry before fermentation. Coming down from a walk in Valmalenco or Val Masino, you can stretch the return along the Via dei Terrazzamenti, a path that runs across the slope through the vineyards.

The table follows the seasons too. Bitto PDO is made only on the high pastures, from 1 June to 30 September, with raw cow's milk and an optional small share of goat's milk, while milk from the rest of the year becomes Valtellina Casera PDO, a dairy cheese. In Valchiavenna, food culture runs through the crotti instead, natural cellars set among the boulders of ancient landslides, where a cool draught called the sorèl keeps the temperature low and steady all year, well suited to wine, cured meats and cheese. After the Acquafraggia falls or the Sentiero del Cardinello, an open crotto is the most fitting way to end the day.