Costigliole d'Asti

The castle crowns the town, its towers rising over a garden and lawns that pull people up for the view. Inside runs a well-known culinary school, though the rooms aren't always open to visitors and much of the building still waits on restoration.

The Bionzo is the wine to arrive for — a Barbera d'Asti Superiore off one hillside, the one the Boeri family stakes its name on. The classic sit-down is five wines with grissini and a board of local salumi and cheese, two hours, €20; step up to "Tra Langa e Monferrato" and it's six glasses that run from Barbera through Nebbiolo to Barolo, €35, because the cellar straddles both worlds. Ask and they'll walk you down among the barrels first. Small groups, up to fifteen, in Italian or English — book ahead on boerivini.it.

One of the oversized Big Benches scattered across these hills, no. 18 sits up at Bricco Lù with a near-360° sweep over the Montegrosso valley, the vineyards and, on a clear day, the snow-capped Alps. A fountain, free binoculars and e-bike chargers wait at the top; leave the car below and walk the last five minutes.

A chef leads this full-day e-bike ride out of Costigliole d'Asti, starting at the historic Cascina Castlet winery. You cross Barbera d'Asti and Moscato vineyards and the Fassona Piemontese cattle country, stopping three times to taste — the wine, the prized local beef, the typical sweets. E-bike, helmet, tasting glass and insurance are in; a chef-made picnic is optional.

Cascina Ciuchè bottles the full Costigliole spread — Barbera d'Asti and its Superiore, a Nizza DOCG, Grignolino, Moscato, even an Alta Langa — all made, as they'll tell you, the traditional way, natural ferments and no shortcuts. Book a tasting through the site or ring +39 349 865 4453, and you'll sit down over the Nizza and whatever else is open that day. It's a short hop east of town, Monday to Saturday, family-run and unhurried, in Italian or English.

Generations of trifulau take small groups into the woods with their dogs to hunt for truffles, then explain how they grow, how they're found, and why they're better eaten than kept. The morning ends with a tasting of truffle over local cheese, salami and wine.

Mariuccia Borio built her name on Passum, a Barbera d'Asti pressed from partly dried grapes — rounder, darker, the wine that carried Cascina Castlet well past Piemonte. Book ahead and someone like Alice walks you through the rebuilt cantina on Strada Cascinotto, into the old historic room the regulars single out, and pours the Passum next to Uceline, made from Uvalino, a local grape she pulled back from the edge. The tour runs in fluent English or German, weekday mornings and afternoons, Saturdays only if you've asked first — email visit@cascinacastlet.com. The view over the vineyards does the rest.

A big outdoor pool ringed by greenery, with a children's pool, a couple of slides and space to spread out even in August. The bar does ice cream and, on Thursday evenings, a poolside aperitivo dinner by reservation. Families come for the day; the changing rooms could use some upkeep.

Francedo's a small, young estate up on Strada Rovere, and they keep the tastings that way — one to six people, booked ahead, starting at nine, ten or eleven. The short version is three wines in three-quarters of an hour; the full one walks you out through the vines, down into the barrel room and back for the whole range poured against local salumi and cheese, an hour and a half. It's Italian or English, whoever's around that morning. Message them first — they run it off WhatsApp and Instagram more than a booking calendar.

Come autumn the Ronzano family take you into the woods above Costigliole with the dogs, who work the air a while and then start digging where the truffle hides. Nicolò leads most of the walks — third generation of trifulau here — and he'll talk as much about how the season keeps shifting with the weather as about where to find one. Book through book.tenutaronzano.it; they run it in English as well as Italian, and there's usually a glass of the estate Barbera and whatever the dogs turned up waiting at the end. Bring boots — the ground's often damp under the leaves.

A small, family-run spot in the old centre where the same household runs the kitchen and the dining room. The Piedmont classics arrive a touch lighter than usual but no less tasty, prices stay fair, and the wine list reaches well beyond the local Barbera.

Refined but unfussy cooking on the Tenuta Mura Mura estate, the vineyards spread out below the terrace. The chef makes nearly everything in-house — tartare, rabbit, inventive desserts — with a long wine list behind it, and the kitchen will build a set menu for a celebration. Book, and leave time between courses.

Pier and Cinzia run this little osteria beside a grass airstrip, where light aircraft take off past the veranda while you eat. The tajarin with ragù is the thing to order, portions run generous, prices stay gentle, and the hill views come free. Book for weekends and larger tables.

The ravioli come soft and generously filled, and the pizzas keep regulars coming back. It's a warm, well-priced family place — though on a busy Saturday the lone server can mean a wait, so it's worth booking ahead.

A bright, roomy pasticceria and cafe a few steps from the castle, where the counter's stocked with fresh brioche and pastries each morning. The croissants come light and well-made, the panettone gets singled out at Christmas, and the woman at the till is quick with a recommendation.

A husband-and-wife team make the pizzas by hand here, fast and with a warm welcome — a fresh one's in your hands in about fifteen minutes. The range runs long, from burrata to the Siciliana; eat in or take away, with parking right outside.

Home cooking of the grandmother sort — a proper vitello tonnato, roast potatoes, honest desserts — served at fair prices by Anna and the family. Saturday lunch fills up, and there's a shaded spot out front for a cold Franciacorta on a hot walk back from the viewpoint.

A bright pasticceria and bar with a big terrace on the square, run by a pastry chef known for wedding cakes and colourful cubic brioche. The little cream puffs, brought out to taste, are a highlight; service can slow when a crowd hits, so mornings are the calmer bet.

Part wine shop, part kitchen, where every bottle on the shelf can be poured by the glass and the sommeliers offer a taste before anyone commits. Local plates of ham, cheese and antipasti pair with Barbera and Barbaresco, and the English-speaking staff make booking worthwhile.

One of the old cheap-and-cheerful bars, good for a morning coffee or an aperitivo out on the terrace, dogs welcome. The croissants come soft and warm, the cocktails are well balanced, and the platters stretch to a vegetarian option.

A small, friendly bar in Costigliole where the owner sets the tone and the coffee's good and cheap. Visitors stop in for an easy break on the way through; the cramped bathroom is the one gripe.

A roadside stop between Milan and Asti for a quick, well-pulled coffee, a toast, or a glass of local wine. The owner keeps bees, so his own honey is worth asking after — though the welcome and the restrooms divide opinion.

A little bar and gelateria right on the piazza, with tables out front and free parking. The gelato and Giorgio's cappuccino keep regulars coming back, and the cocktails come well made — prices run a touch above average.

A small neighbourhood bar, unpretentious and easy-going, where the regulars trade jokes over a coffee. Nothing fancy — just a kind welcome and a quick stop close to home.