CANATOVINI di Canato Marco

The Canato family have worked this Vignale hillside since the 1950s, on land that once belonged to the nuns of the San Bartolomeo cloister and then the Bishop of Casale. Grignolino is the house passion, and Marco makes it in ways you rarely see — the 'Primo Canato' riserva aged for years, even a sparkling version — proof of just how much this awkward, pale grape can give when someone takes it seriously. Around it sit a firm Barbera Superiore, a Freisa, a dry Moscato and 'Muntavà', a sparkling rosé made by the old ancestral method.

Tastings happen in the cellar, hosted by Marco or by Primo with the kind of unhurried generosity that has people writing home about it. One thing worth heeding: it's a small family operation with hands in the vineyard, so the posted hours aren't a promise — call ahead on +39 340 919 3882 before you drive up, or you may find no one home.