European beer/wine/food festivals help needed please.

[t8yman]

I know the efester is usually a cultured, well travelled type so I am looking for any help you may be able to throw my way. My mate is looking for a beer, wine, food festival in mainland Europe to celebrate his 50th next year. His birthday is at the end of October, but he doesn't mind when we go tbh. We don't want anything huge, no oktoberfests etc simply because huge throngs of people being robbed with cheap poor quality street food is not what we want.

Anything?

[Pogues Mcgogues]

My friend went to one in Frankfurt when he was there purely by chance (staying with relatives and it happened to be on the same weekend). It wasn't a big thing, more local, but I can find out the name just incase it's any use. Think it's more wine based tho.

[Pogues Mcgogues]

Mate repluied 'markelsheim' - dunno if that's the place or event or whatever.

[t8yman]

Cheers, I'll have a google, keep em coming folks.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

This is within striking distance and Galway's a nice place to go. Only problem is Ireland's a bloody expensive place to get drunk in.

http://www.galwayoysterfest.com/

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Fiesta De Marisco, O Grove, Spain

October

It may not be a resort that Brits would normally visit - O Grove is scarily reminiscent of Blackpool - but for the first two weeks in October it becomes home to one of Europe's biggest food festivals, dedicated to all things seafood-y. Everything from crabs and shrimp to clams, barnacles and scallops are all on the menu, and there's an annual competition to come up with a new and innovative mussel dish. There's a Galician-Portugese fair, with dancing and folk music and a sculpture competition, with five sculptors from different countries. Local restaurants offer special seafood-themed menus, and the entire town gets in on the act.

STAY: Hotel Mar Atlantico (00 34 986 738061; www.hotelmaratlantico.com)

www.turismogrove.com

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Autumn Festival, Lugano, Switzerland

October

12 The region's grape harvest is celebrated with a huge food fair in the pedestrianised area of Lugano, with stalls offering typical Ticinese specialities including mortadella of roast pork, risotto, gnocchi and polenta with rich stews. Street performers and musicians offer traditional entertainment throughout the weekend and there is plenty of opportunity to buy local products to take home.

STAY: The Villa Sassa (00 41 9191 14111; www.villasassa.ch) overlooks the town

www.lugano-tourism.ch

[wee_insomniac]

Oktoberfest!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Truffle Festival, Alba, Italy

October- November

This small Piedmontese town suddenly appears on the world food map at the beginning of October, when the white truffle season begins. Some of the world's most famous chefs fly in for the invitation-only truffle auction, where these most exotic of funghi go for up to £1,600 a kilo, and stay for the fair and market. The Truffle Market takes place each weekend, with stalls selling all kinds of truffle-related produce, while the fair is more of a showcase for Piedmontese speciality foods. The best approach is to buy a truffle then take it to one of the local restaurants, and ask them to grate it onto your meal.

STAY: The simple but central Hotel Savona (00 39 0173 440440; www.hotelsavona.com)

www.fieradeltartufo.org

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Shrimp Festival, Honfleur, France

October

One of the few remaining old-style ports in Normandy, Honfleur has kept its belle epoque charms and really comes alive when thousands of people descend on the town to join in the great shrimp-peeling competition. There's plenty of other local produce on offer; bottles of Calvados and cider, stalls selling cheese and fresh meats and, of course, sumptuous cakes, sweets and breads. The nautical theme is amplified by performances of sea-shanties and a gathering of old sea vessels in the picturesque port.

STAY: La Maison de Lucie (00 33 23114 4040; www.lamaisondelucie.com) is all antique French style with a delightful courtyard garden

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Baltic Herring Festival, Helsinki, Finland

October

It may sound a bit niche, but this three-day fish fest dates back to the 18th century and is a great insight into Finnish traditions. Fishermen bring their small wooden boats to dock in the harbour and sell their catch, while the market is filled with stalls selling fishy marinades, smoked salmon, black bread and other Finnnish specialties. There are competitions to find the most delicious herring dish, and some 10,000 Finns flock to the market over its week's run.

STAY: The Klaus K (00 358 20 770 4700; www.klauskhotel.com) is effortlessly stylish and centrally located,

www.hel.fi/english

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Weimar Onion Market, Germany

October

Forget the frenzied, heaving Oktoberfest, and head to the equally historic Onion Market in Weimar, where the streets are filled with stalls decorated with with plaited onions, selling a mind-boggling array of cakes, bread, soups and stews all with an onion flavour. There are more than 500 stalls, many selling other German specialities - sausages, spiced lebkuchen cakes and plenty of gluhwein. More than 100 performers will be taking part in shows and entertainments on stages throughout the city.

STAY: Hotel Elephant (00 49 3643 8020; www.starwoodhotels.com) is oddly named but refreshingly quirky, room-only

www.weimar.de

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Chestnut Festival, Mourjou en Chataigneraie, France

October

17 This sleepy village comes alive in mid-October, when the streets are filled with crowds celebrating the chestnut harvest. Three tonnes of nuts and 6,000 litres of cider will be consumed during the festival, and there are also numerous stalls selling specialities from neighbouring regions. Sample pate from the Ardeche, charcuterie from the Dordogne and baked goods from the Lot Valley, while street performers entertain and musicians play everything from jazz to French folk.

STAY: Auberge de la Tour (00 33 4714 69915; www.auberge-delatour.com) in the nearby town of Marcoles,

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Slow Food Festival, Turin, Italy

October

The Slow Food movement adheres to the traditional school of Italian cooking; using only fresh local produce to produce authentic dishes, with no 21st-century short-cuts. The four-day festival in Turin celebrates all Italian produce in three areas: the market, a maze of stalls where you can buy cured meats, cheeses, oils and spices from differently themed 'lanes'; the Islands of Taste, where you can try everything from pecorino cheese to Barolo wine; and the kitchen area where demonstrations will take place.

STAY: The Art Hotel Boston (00 39 1150 0359; www.hotelbostontorino.it), half-gallery, half-design hotel,

www.salonedelgusto.com

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Envies Culinaires, Lille, France,

late October- begining November

Lille is a foodie destination all year round, thanks to its fabulous restaurants and weekly markets, but the Envies Culinaires steps it up a level, with a four-day expo off all things gourmet, at Lille's Grand Palace. Kick off at the snails stall, or indulge in a fresh lobster in the 'Produits Festif' section, satiate your sweet tooth on nougat, waffles and caramels at the 'Sucre' stalls and pick up Italian antipasti or Mexican nibbles at the 'Saveurs d'ailleurs' area, which focuses on global cuisines. Wine tastings, demonstrations and cooking tips are also all on offer.

www.envies-culinaires.com

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

That's your lot for now!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

My mistake. Here's one for late September

Kunsthal Cooking, Rotterdam, Holland

late September

8 This 'Festival of Real Taste' is Holland's top culinary event, bringing together dozens of small-scale producers. The event is part market - with stalls selling Dutch cheeses and breads, rare fruit and vegetables, meats and fish - and part cookery show, with demonstrations and presentations of innovative recipes and ideas. There are numerous opportunities for tasting and plenty of chances for the kids to don an apron and get to grips with real food.

www.kunsthal.nl

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Ye gads there's another one which may fit the bill;

Merano Wine Festival & Culinaria, Merano, Italy

November

The South Tyrol, with its mixed Italian and Austrian heritage, is a great place for a foodie visit and the Merano Culinaria is a chance to sample the fabulous food and wine that has been created from such mixed influences. Traditional alpine noodle dishes, such as dumplings and strudel are on offer, alongside hand-made pastas and strong cheeses. Regions such as the Aosta valley and Lombary have their own stalls, selling fontina cheese, motzetta (air-dried meats), braesolas and salamis along with specialist producers of everything from aged balsamic vinegar to hand-made chocolates. Many major wine producers from all over Italy also take their place at the Art Nouveau Kurhaus to sell their prized bottles.

STAY: The Hotel Aurora (00 39 0473 211800; www.hotelaurora.bz) is sleek and modern

www.meranwinefestival.com

[Ed209]

Doesn't Stutgartt (sp?) have a beer festival at the same time as Oktoberfest? Its probably still quite large, although nothin on the scale of Oktoberfest. I imagine it will actually have nice and pleasant german people there, rather than loud and embarrassing Brits, Aussies and Americans

Edited April 16, 2012 by Ed209

[t8yman]

Wow, yoghurt you have come up with some belters there! Was that creative googling or a good web source? As I said, he really doesn't need oct/nov, as the other lads may be more inclined to go when the weather is a little better

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

It was from an article in the Guardian dated 2008. I just posted them individually and took out the irrelevant and dated stuff for you. I'll have a look around for some things earlier in the year then.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Not sure if this may be what Ed was referring to ?

http://joobili.com/stuttgarter_weindorf_stuttgart_10087/

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Here's one in August - The Festival of the Pig no less.

http://www.2camels.com/festival-of-the-pig.php

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

That's it I'm done. Here's the final one from me (unless I get bored again!)

http://www.travelinginspain.com/spain_festivals/san_mateo.htm

[Ed209]

Nah, I was thinking of Cannstatter Volksfest. But just had a quick look up and it looks massive, so probably not to t8yman's taste.

Have to say, the Helsinki Fish Festival sounds marvelous