Nizza Monferrato

The Capital of Barbera d'Asti

Nizza Monferrato is the undisputed home of Barbera d'Asti DOCG — the grape variety that defines this corner of Piemonte more completely than any other. The town's Enoteca Regionale di Nizza hosts tastings and maintains a remarkable collection of producers from across the appellation, making it an essential stop for anyone who wants to understand the range of styles that Barbera can produce in this territory: from fresh, fruit-forward everyday wines to structured, barrel-aged versions with the depth and complexity to hold for a decade.

The town and its surrounding vineyard landscape are part of the UNESCO "Piedmont Wine Landscapes" inscription, and the hills immediately around Nizza — the so-called "Nizza DOCG" sub-zone — produce some of the most concentrated and age-worthy Barbera in the world. September brings the harvest, when the surrounding hills are at their most active and most beautiful. The medieval centre is compact and pleasant to walk, and the Saturday market is one of the better provincial food markets in the province.