Reserved tasting at Borgo Moncalvo

Andrea usually meets you at the cellar, and the only real question is how far up the hill you want to go. Fifteen euros gets four wines at the counter (free if you spend over €80); €28 adds a board of salumi and cheese and a short walk into the vines; the €33 Elite pours eight and climbs to the "heroic" rows the family works by hand because a tractor would tip. It's Barbera-led and certified organic — the Superiore La Pajassa is the one to hold out for. Book ahead on their site or by WhatsApp, and take the morning slot while the hillside's still cool.

Run by Borgo Moncalvo Azienda Vitivinicola