Nizza Monferrato

Nizza Monferrato is an arcaded market town of about 10,000 people (2017) in the province of Asti, in the Monferrato wine hills of Piedmont, Italy. It is the capital of the Nizza DOCG, the most ambitious expression of the Barbera grape, and a good, unpretentious base for exploring the surrounding vineyards.

Nizza sits in the Belbo valley where the Monferrato hills meet the northern edge of the Langhe. It grew as an agricultural market town — its arcaded streets and the grand former cattle market still fill with stalls on Saturdays — and remains centred on wine and food rather than tourism. Its best-known local product after Barbera is the Cardo Gobbo, a "hunchbacked" cardoon grown by bending the plants under earth, eaten raw with the warm anchovy-and-garlic dip bagna cauda.

• 44.773678.356491 Enoteca Regionale di Nizza. The regional wine cellar, in Palazzo Crova, doubles as a visitor point for the town and the Nizza DOCG; a good first stop for tastings and information.  

Nizza Monferrato is on the regional railway between Asti and Acqui Terme; Asti (about 30 minutes) connects to the fast Turin–Genoa and Turin–Milan lines.

From the A21 (Turin–Piacenza) leave at Asti Est and follow the SP456 south, or reach Nizza on the valley roads from Canelli and Acqui Terme. There is parking around the Foro Boario and the town edges.

The compact historic centre is easily walked. A car (or a rented e-bike) is useful for reaching wineries in the surrounding hills.

• 44.773688.356451 Palazzo Crova. An 18th-century noble palazzo with a garden, now home to the regional wine cellar and used for tastings and events.  
• 44.77428.3542 Foro Boario Pio Corsi. The monumental 19th-century former cattle market, a landmark iron-and-glass hall now used for markets, fairs and events.  
• 44.773878.358073 Chiesa di San Giovanni in Lanero. One of the town's principal churches, in the old centre.  
• 44.774588.359444 Piazza Garibaldi. The arcaded central square, the heart of the Saturday market.  
• 44.777858.349915 Giardino dei Giusti. A small memorial garden ("Garden of the Righteous").  

• 44.773688.356451 Tasting at the Enoteca Regionale (Palazzo Crova). Taste a broad range of Nizza DOCG and other Monferrato wines from many producers in one place. Year-round.  
• 44.773228.360542 Bersano — cellar tour & wine museum, ☏ +39 0141 720211. One of the historic houses of Nizza, with guided cellar tours, a collection of old winemaking tools and printing presses, and tastings. Book ahead.  
• 44.771198.350843 Scarpa, ☏ +39 0141 721331. A small, historic estate known for traditional, long-lived wines; visits and tastings by appointment.  
• Mon Bike Tour — guided e-bike & cycling tours. Guided and self-guided e-bike rides through the surrounding vineyards, 3–6 hours; year-round. 
• Festivals — Nizza's calendar peaks in late spring and summer: Nizza è Barbera (a May wine festival), the Corsa delle Botti barrel race (June), and a monthly antiques market. Autumn brings the Cardo Gobbo and bagna cauda season.

• 44.773678.356491 Enoteca Regionale di Nizza. Buy Nizza DOCG and other local wines by the bottle, direct from the regional cellar in Palazzo Crova.  
• Saturday market — the weekly market fills the arcades and Piazza Garibaldi with food, produce and goods.
• Cantina di Nizza — the town's co-operative winery ( . ) sells local wine and offers tastings.

• 44.773688.356451 La Signora in Rosso — Osteria Vineria. Osteria and wine bar in the centre, pairing regional dishes with local wines. €€.  
• 44.77388.356332 Ristobottega Da Necco — Vino & Cucina. Central spot combining a shop, wine and Piedmontese cooking. €€.  
• 44.774498.356393 La Locanda del Campanon. Traditional trattoria in the old centre. €€.  
• 44.774348.356954 Borromeo Cucina di Bottega. Contemporary take on local cucina in the town centre. €€.  
• 44.774588.359445 Il Cannon d'Oro. Long-standing, good-value local restaurant on Piazza Garibaldi. €.  

• 44.773678.356491 Enoteca Regionale di Nizza. Wines by the glass and bottle from across the Nizza DOCG in the setting of Palazzo Crova.  
• 44.7738.353172 Caffè San Carlo. A central café for coffee and an aperitivo.  

• 44.773618.355311 La Canonica Resort. A restored property offering rooms in or near the centre.  
• 44.781368.311632 Agriturismo Relais "Il Bricco". A farm-stay relais in the hills just outside town.  
• 44.772078.333763 B&B Villa Curte Nicia. Bed & breakfast on the edge of Nizza.  

Mobile coverage is good; many cafés and hotels offer Wi-Fi.

• Canelli — the sparkling-wine town with its Underground Cathedrals, a short drive up the Belbo valley.
• Acqui Terme — Roman spa town, south along the rail line.
• Asti — the provincial capital.
• Monferrato and the Langhe — the surrounding wine hills.