Gaiole in Chianti is at its best in autumn, when the harvest fills the air with the smell of fermentation and the vineyards turn gold and amber. The grape harvest (vendemmia) runs from mid-September into October, and many estates open their cellars during this period for tastings and tours. The weather is still warm, the crowds thinner than in summer, and the light is soft and theatrical.
Spring (April to June) is also excellent — the vineyards are a brilliant green, wildflowers fill the verges of the castle roads, and the hillsides have a freshness that summer bakes out of them. July and August bring heat and more tourists, especially on weekends when day-trippers arrive from Florence and Siena. Winter is quiet, some restaurants close, but the foggy mornings in the valleys have their own appeal and accommodation prices drop significantly.
L'Eroica, a celebrated vintage bicycle race through the Chianti strade bianche (white gravel roads), takes place in early October and brings thousands of cyclists to the area — accommodation books up early for that weekend.