Santa Caterina made its name on Grignolino — the pale, prickly Monferrato red most estates had quietly given up on — and turned it into Monferace, a barrel-aged version that's collected seven straight Tre Bicchieri. Around it sit a Barbera d'Asti Superiore (Setecàpita, Vignalina), a Freisa, a Nebbiolo they cheekily label Illegale, and a Chardonnay. Seventeen wines in all, and the Grignolino is still the one worth arguing about.
The cellar is the real draw: an Infernotto dug seventeen metres down, part of the UNESCO-listed underground architecture of these hills, and a good ten degrees cooler than the yard above. Guided tastings run from €20 to €85 and are best booked online; there's a relais if you want to stay, and they'll walk you through it in Italian, English or German. Give the cellar an hour — it deserves it.