Azienda Agricola Montestregone

The hill above Acqui Terme is called Monte Stregone — the witches' mount — because the old stories put their gatherings up here. What's on it now is vines: Barbera and Dolcetto worked by hand by Alessandro Gallo and Roberto Orsi, two winemakers who'd rather fuss over a row than a spreadsheet. They make three wines and no more — Strja, Montestregone and Caplè — reds built in the vineyard and finished slowly in wood.

The Barbera d'Asti here is the one to reach for: dark, unhurried, the kind of red that wants a plate of tajarin in front of it. The Dolcetto d'Acqui is the everyday bottle, softer and quicker to open up. It's a small operation on a steep slope — two people, three wines, and a name borrowed from local legend.