I have always planted both garlic and shallots in October and I got the garlic planted in the ground last year in late October of 2018 but not the shallots. I ran out of time and then all the shallot bulbs were sold out. I know we can get bigger garlic bulbs if we plant in the previous fall (which I already harvested) and thought the shallots would be bigger too if planted in the fall. But I decided to plant some dutch shallots this spring to see how they would do as I really love shallots. I just found out I should plant french shallots in the fall and can plant the dutch shallots in either the fall or spring! They have a more delicate flavor than onions. I harvested them about a week ago and they are magnificent!
They are huge and I got many of them from about 10 bulbs. I picked them when the stalks fell down and started dying. They are now curing on the bench in a protected shady area on my portal. Curing means letting the stalks dry out completely before I take them off. The skins should be dry and be sure not to wash the dirt off. You can just rub off the dirt after curing. What a pleasant surprise for me!
giantveggiegardener 
So you got them in one season?! Is that how it is done in colder climates? I never gave it any though; but it seems to me that my grandfather did both for garlic. Some was planted in autumn (like I would do), and if I remember correctly, some was planted in spring (perhaps because most people in the neighborhood were from colder climates).
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Yes they were planted in April and harvested in August. Normally I plant garlic and shallots in the fall and harvest late June to July. I just ran out of time and shallots were all sold out last year so I planted them in early spring. I was surprised they did so well and got so big.
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I suppose that is done in garlic production too. It would make more sense than to have all the garlic ready at the same time. When I worked in Gilroy, I was growing citrus trees, so was not paying much attention to garlic or onions. I do remember that they were grown in different phases.
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