Autumn is upon us at The Wine & Country Club and the change of season brings with it some mesmerising autumnal hues – flaming reds, burnt oranges and vibrant yellows, set against a backdrop of clear blue skies. Autumn also signals the start of a wonderful time of year—harvest time—and kicks off mushroom hunting season.
To all autumn lovers out there … welcome to The Wine & Country Club!
Autumn At The Wine & Country Club Brings Harvest And High Hopes
The countryside is awash with vibrant autumnal hues. Crisp and sunny autumn days are followed by chill starlit nights. The first autumn rains arrive and fresh green plants reappear, heralding the beginning of the harvest season. Leaves on the vines change from green to yellow and even red, evoking a fiery blaze in the warmth of autumn light. The endless hectares of wine-producing vineyards burst with ripe grapes, ready to be hand-picked. The gathering of long-awaited fruit for transformation into your most personal wine—with the invaluable help of Ana de Castro, the Club’s expert oenologist—is the well-deserved reward of harvest.
The onset of autumn really signifies the heart of vintage for us at The Wine & Country Club – it is one of the best times of the year in the La Melonera winery; it keeps us vintners active and everything is buzzing with energy. We treasure this time, which represents hope and a year’s worth of work. As a resident, you can also play an active part in the harvest process, make a wine to your own taste and receive up to 7,000 bottles of your bespoke vintage.
But autumn is also looming large on The Wine & Country Club’s seasonal calendar because at this time of year your organic kitchen garden and orchard are bearing their seasonal fruits, allowing you to savour the finest sweet potatoes, pumpkins, mangoes, pomegranates, and quinces.
Autumn at The Wine & Country Club also means that you can pursue another one of your pet hobbies – mushroom picking. Nothing beats going into the forests in the Serrania de Ronda with family and friends to enjoy a pleasant walk while filling your baskets with mushrooms! However, your interest in mushroom foraging is not merely limited to the leisure or sporting aspect, but also stems from culinary reasons. Mushrooms are the most important ingredients for the preparation of many of the succulent traditional Spanish dishes; in some they are the main, or even the only, ingredient. Very often roasted or stewed, mushrooms can also be served to garnish a meat dish or stew.
What could be better than a dish of freshly picked wild mushrooms, gently but rapidly sautéed in a combination of virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and parsley, which needs nothing more than a hunk of fresh bread and a glass of good wine? High on your to-cook list is also the stodgy, homey revuelto de niscalos (eggs scrambled with saffron milk caps), and your Winter Chanterelle wild mushroom recipe for flaky tarts, which is a homestead favourite.
But autumn at The Wine & Country Club is so much more than stomping on fresh crunchy leaves, admiring the palette of reds, oranges and yellows, and snuggling away to your heart’s content. It is the perfect time of year for golfing. Although most people flock to golf courses in the summer, there is something unique about playing golf in the crisp and cool fall weather, which can be a welcome change from the brutal summer heat. Another plus about playing golf in autumn is the scenery. Morning dew, amber light, cooler temperatures, and colourful foliage make for a spectacular backdrop to your golf game.
Autumn At Your New Country House – A Fantastic Season To Cosy Up
With the first thaw of autumn, your , bathed in the autumnal amber light, takes on another dimension. At daybreak, when no one else is up and the house is blissfully quiet, you stroll through your private vineyard, wrapped in silence. Then, during the midday hours, you love to linger on the terrace and enjoy those short spells of sun to boost your vitamin D levels.
Outdoor spaces thus become key meeting points. The terrace, the porch … any nook makes for a good place to indulge before lunch and snuggle away with a good book while you admire the stunning sunset with the Serrania de Ronda in the background.
After a leisurely stroll through the crisp autumn leaves with the family, once the sun sets, nothing compares to pulling on a snug jumper, relaxing by the heat of the roaring fire, enjoying all things pumpkin-spiced, and savouring some of your latest bespoke vintage. After all, autumn is made for snuggles and cuddles and blankets and pillow forts. For an authentic autumnal experience, it does not get better than this.