Pico Maccario

Pico and Vitaliano Maccario built their name on Lavignone, an everyday Barbera d'Asti that punches well above its price, and Tre Roveri from the Nizza cru above it. The estate has since reached into the Langhe — Nebbiolo, Barbaresco, even Barolo — but the heart of it is still Barbera on the Monferrato hills around the cellar on Via Cordara. Look down the rows and you'll spot the giant pencils they use as vine posts, a nod to the pencil-shaped tins the wines ship in.

They welcome visitors to taste, with English-speaking hosts and a picnic area for lingering afterwards; tastings are a paid, guided affair, so come for the wine rather than a free pour. It's a working winery kept in immaculate order, and the reception is warm — turn up expecting generous glasses and someone who'll walk you through each label.