Things to Do in Turin in October

October is harvest time in the Langhe-Roero wine region, 50 km (31 miles) south of Turin, where Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo reach perfect ripeness. The vineyards turn burnished gold and red, and family-run wineries offer tastings right among the fermenting tanks - the smell of crushed grapes and yeast fills the cold stone cellars.

October's unpredictable weather makes Turin's subterranean tunnels the perfect escape. The 18th-century ice houses under Piazza Castello stay a constant 12°C (54°F) year-round, and the air tastes of damp earth and centuries-old stone. You'll walk past Roman foundations 8 m (26 ft) below street level where the echoes carry differently than above ground.

Cool October temperatures are good for chocolate making, and Turin's historic chocolatiers open their workshops for small-group classes. You'll smell roasted Piedmont hazelnuts being ground into gianduja paste, the sweet-nutty scent drifting through marble-tiled rooms that have been making chocolate since the 1800s.

October light in Turin is photographer's gold - the low autumn sun hits the Savoy royal palace at angles that make the baroque facades glow amber. Morning tours catch the mist rising from the palace gardens, where the smell of fallen leaves mixes with marble dust from centuries of stone carving.

October markets show Piedmont's autumn bounty - porcini mushrooms the size of dinner plates, chestnuts still warm from the roasters, and rustic bread made with locally-milled flour. The covered Porta Palazzo market stays dry even in rain, and cooking classes use seasonal ingredients like fresh sage and late-harvest tomatoes.