Asti's national wine competition and fair, running since 1967, pours award-winning Italian wines each September, with Asti DOCG, Barbera and Monferrato reds centre stage.
Tip: The Douja d'Or competition seal on a back label is a reliable shortcut to a well-made bottle when shopping Monferrato wines later.
Collisioni is an agri-rock festival of music and literature set in the UNESCO Langhe each July, pairing big-name concerts in Alba with daytime wine tastings and grower meetings.
Tip: Concert nights book early; the daytime food-and-wine programme is the reason to come for tasters rather than gig-goers.
Alba's International White Truffle Fair runs across autumn weekends, pairing the prized white truffle with Barolo, Barbaresco and Nebbiolo at the peak of the Langhe calendar.
Tip: The Alba truffle market and the Wine Tasting Experience cellar share the Cortile della Maddalena; buy the combined ticket online to skip the weekend queue.
Piedmont's en primeur showcase brings more than 500 Langhe and Roero wineries to the OGR in Turin each January, pouring the newest Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero for the trade.
Tip: Trade and press only; the dedicated press room offers more than 700 wines under sommelier guidance, the fastest way to survey the vintage.
Alba's open-air spring fair turns the historic centre into a tasting trail for Langhe, Roero and Monferrato wines, with workshops and street food between April and May.
Tip: Buy the tasting carnet online during the early-booking window before mid-April for the lower price; experiences and cooking classes sell out first.