Autumn: the blushing vineyard

It is impossible not to feel moved or excited when contemplating one of our autumnal landscapes. The forests become increasingly damp, moss grows and expands to keep moisture in the air, and dry leaves cover the ground. Taken together, this creates the perfect conditions for autumn's most coveted delicacy: mushrooms.

The fruit on most trees is ripening: from chestnuts, acorns and olives to the fruit of the strawberry tree. The skies show the constant movements of migrating birds, their arrow-shaped flight pattern a clear indication that the seasons are changing. While storks and kites are departing, large flocks of water birds arrive to crowd our wetlands. Meanwhile, the meadows and open fields of our mountainous areas set the stage for one of the most stunning spectacles among all Iberian fauna: deer rutting.

For the past few weeks, the stags have been digging up the ground with their antlers to deposit urine and semen. This is how the stag marks his territory, warning young potential rivals that anyone intending to challenge his control over the female herd is headed for trouble. The next stag does the same to warn whoever might follow. If the herd is big enough – and on the Iberian Peninsula we have over 50,000 deer – this can result in impressive mud holes, the acrid stench of which can be smelled from a good distance.

The rut, however, also leaves its mark on the trees. The males have spent weeks preparing for the moment when the females are ready to mate. During this time, they invest a great many hours into rubbing their antlers against tree branches and trunks to strip away the velvet: the down that covers the antlers when they first begin to grow. This is why the bark has been ripped from oaks, holm oaks, and pines. Mud holes, where stags shed parasites and clean their coats, also abound. One must be well groomed for such an important date.

In our mountains, the rutting season ends in late October. By then the dominant males have mounted the females (who are only fertile for a single day), leaving but a few mates for the less fortunate. With the annual reproductive duties accomplished, the stags return to the deep forest to continue their solitary existence while the does and their young form herds that stay together throughout the winter. The gestation period is eight months, meaning the fawns will be born before the next summer.

And while all of this plays out in the woods and the harvest work is long done, with the tractors back in the shed and the wineries brimming with must, the vineyards dress themselves in yellows, reds and shades of ochre to bid the season farewell.

The vines paint the entire countryside with their full glorious autumn palette. For many nature lovers, this is one of the most beautiful landscapes imaginable: the time of year when the vine has completed its productive task and steps into the spotlight to say goodbye in the most spectacular fashion, showing us how viticulture is truly an art that goes beyond wine.

I can't think of a better moment to enjoy our nature than autumn, perhaps the best time of year to appreciate the immense beauty of our landscapes. I suggest you grab an umbrella and head out one afternoon in a light autumnal drizzle, right before the cold sets in, and take a stroll to the vineyards so that, once there, you let it all soak in, not the rain, but the art around you – the stunning seasonal art that one of the most beautiful ecosystems in our natural environment is capable of creating.