Tenuta dei Re

Tenuta dei Re has made wine on this hill since 1970, and it's still the kind of place where the owner pours for you himself. Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato is the reason to stop — honest and fairly priced — but ask about the Grignolino, the Don Felipe brut spumante, and the reds and whites they've started ageing in terracotta jars, Favorita and Grignolino among them. It's a small range, made without fuss.

Don't expect a slick tasting room; expect a working cantina and a proper welcome — regulars come back for the Ruchè and stay talking. Turn up, walk the vineyard, taste what's open. If the grander wineries down the road feel like theatre, this is the quieter pleasure.