When I was younger I’m sure I remember going home for the school summer holidays and spending my time enjoying the fairly consistent British weather. Naturally there was the odd day of rain but by and large I am very confident one could be fairly certain the sun would be shining and the temperature would be above 18 degrees. In fact, I definitely recall a few years where hosepipes would be banned...what does one need to do to get a decent drought!?

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Towards the end of August and the beginning of September almost all of Italy goes wine harvest mad as every vineyard goes through the painstaking but joyous process of grape picking. When you have a country as historically and passionately associated with wine as Italy, the harvest is a fantastic blend of culture, tradition, hard work but ultimately enjoyment.

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The famous event, held twice a summer in the historic Tuscan town of Siena, is a bareback horse race in honour of the Virgin Mary. The Piazza del Campo main square holds 25,000 people for the race and you don’t need a ticket!

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I first went to Tuscany when I was in my late teens and was immediately struck by the picture postcard rolling hills, the relaxed nature of the culture and of course the food and wine. A friend of mine’s family had rented a rustic farmhouse that was a kilometre down a dirt track and the views from the villa were incredible.

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