The high hills south of Alba grow Pinot Nero and Chardonnay for Alta Langa, Piedmont's traditional-method sparkling, in cooler, wilder country than the Barolo zone.
Tip: Alta Langa is always vintage-dated and bottle-fermented; treat it as Piedmont's answer to Champagne and Franciacorta rather than to Prosecco.
Italy's smallest region grows high-altitude Nebbiolo, known locally as Picotendro, at Donnas near the Piedmont border, plus alpine natives like Petit Rouge and Fumin.
Pours: Valle d'Aosta Donnas DOC, Valle d'Aosta DOC (Petit Rouge, Fumin)
Tip: Donnas Nebbiolo is leaner and more savoury than Langhe Barolo; it makes the long drive a study in how altitude reshapes the same grape.
Over the Lombardy border south of Pavia, the Oltrepo Pavese is a major Pinot Nero zone, making still reds and traditional-method sparkling around Casteggio.
Pours: Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG, Pinot Nero dell'Oltrepo Pavese DOC
Tip: Come for the Metodo Classico sparkling from Pinot Nero; Casteggio sits twenty minutes off the motorway and pairs well with a Gavi stop on the way.
South of Barolo, Dogliani is the spiritual home of Dolcetto, with its own DOCG for a deeper, more structured wine than everyday Alba Dolcetto.
Pours: Dogliani DOCG, Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore DOCG
Tip: Dogliani Dolcetto can age a few years, unlike most Dolcetto; it is the best-value serious red in the southern Langhe.
Across the Tanaro from Alba, the sandy Roero hills make delicate Arneis whites and lighter, perfumed Nebbiolo reds, with Canale and its Enoteca Regionale del Roero as the hub.
Pours: Roero Arneis DOCG, Roero DOCG (Nebbiolo)
Tip: Pair a Malvira Arneis tasting in Canale with the Enoteca Regionale; the Roero's sandy soils give a softer, earlier-drinking Nebbiolo than the Langhe.
The rolling Monferrato around Asti is Barbera country, topped by Nizza DOCG, with curiosities like aromatic Ruche and pale, peppery Grignolino to discover.
Pours: Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Nizza DOCG, Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG, Grignolino d'Asti DOC
Tip: Base in Nizza Monferrato for the deepest Barbera; the Ruche of Castagnole Monferrato is the aromatic red almost no one outside Piedmont knows.
Toward the Ligurian border, the medieval town of Gavi gives its name to Piedmont's most famous dry white, crisp floral Cortese from houses like La Scolca and Villa Sparina.
Pours: Gavi DOCG, Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG
Tip: Book La Scolca at Rovereto di Gavi for the iconic black-label Gavi dei Gavi; the town pairs Cortese with the local raviole del plin and seafood.