Visiting the Monchiero family is always a delight.

The route to Canale, 15 kilometers due north of the town of Alba, crosses the Tanaro river, and in doing so one leaves Langhe and enters the region of Roero. While it may be lesser-known than its neighbour, Roero is no less captivating. The soils are sandier, the hillsides are less imposing than in Barbaresco and Barolo. Consequently, the red wines, like the landscape, are softer, less stern and more delicate than in Langhe. It is also a terroir ideal for white wine production, where arneis is the grape variety of choice.

The tireless and affable Francesco runs the family domain, having taken over from his father Marco. Not only is it a joy to hang out and chat with Francesco, but he is also a vigneron of immense talent, so drinking with him is equally pleasurable. His white wines show an unbridled energy and purity. In red, the Pelisa barbera revels in its simplicity and the ease by which it drinks. The cuvée Srü is an authentic expression of Roero-grown nebbiolo, while “Printi” is more ambitious and can rival the wines of neighbouring Barolo.

Any attempt to offer up a resumé in a few paragraphs of the Gaja family history and their importance to the Piedmont region is bound to be inadequate.

The Gaja name is synonomous with Barbaresco, and it is impossible to be indifferent towards either the wines or the man behind it all, Angelo Gaja. The family has been making wine in the region since 1859. Angelo’s father, Giovanni, himself the son of a vigneron, had the wherewithal and foresight to identify and purchase some of the best parcels of land in Barbaresco. But it was in 1961, when Angelo took control, that the estate began its ascent to the summit of the world’s most important and valued wines. Through his unique genius and vision, Angelo was able to extract the best from these extraordinary terroirs and produce legendary wines.

While the estate’s flagship wine remains the classic Barbaresco, Angelo was equally ambitious about the potential of the Langhe region as a whole. He declared three “Grand crus” in the DOC which are just outside of the Barbaresco zone: Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildin and Costa Russi. Gaja also designated two other Crus, Sperss et Conteisa, as DOC Langhe despite being part of DOCG Barolo. The Barolo Dagromis, Sito Moresco and the 100% cabernet sauvignon Darmagi make up the rest of the reds. In white, there are two chardonnays, Gaia & Rey and Rossj-Bass, while the sauvignon blanc, Alteni Di Brassica, rounds out the portfolio.

The wines are made under the supervision of long time collaborator Guido Rivella, who has worked alongside Gaja for over 30 years. Continuing the family legacy, Angelo’s three children have joined the family business, with his daughter Gaia taking the reigns of the commercial side of the business. Nothing is left to chance, from the vineyard to the chai. The goal is simple: to make wines of the highest possible quality and to show what is unique of each of the terroirs. The Gaja family spends a great deal of time and energy on marketing, and not simply for their own wines. Angelo Gaja believes in the both the grandeur and possibility of Piedmont and has happily taken the role of its most vocal ambassador.

To the great dismay of his father, Elio Altare turned his back on many traditions in Barolo.

From green harvesting to reduce yields, to aging his wines in French barriques in lieu of the classic botti, every tradition was questioned in the spirit of innovation, with the ultimate goal to raise the quality of the region’s wines. With the adoption of many of these new winemaking techniques, Elio Altare quickly became known as the leader of the “modernist” movement. Alongside Angelo Gaja, this coterie of winemakers dared to be different and by doing so, helped raise the standard of quality throughout the region.

Altare’s estate is located in the Barolo commune of La Morra, famous for producing wines of finesse and elegance. For much of the estates’s history, wines were made uniquely from grapes grown in this commune. More recently, grapes from select parcels in Saralunga and Castiglione Falletto have been introduced into the mix.

Constant innovation has remained the axiom at the Altare family estate which is now run with the same degree of enthusiasm and innovation by Elio’s daughter, Silvia. Wether it’s doing two completely different types of vinification for the same parcel as in the Barolo “Arborina” and Langhe “Arborina,” or de-stemming bunches by hand for an experimental micro-cuvée, the goal remains to keep pushing forward and raising the bar, and to show that tradition and innovation are not mutually exclusive.

Domenico Clerico is a true live wire. His wines reflect the way he lives his life, full of passion and intensity.

In his youth, his grandfather called him an “aeroplan sarvaj,” an “airplane flying out of control” in local Piedmontese dialect. Along with Elio Altare, Clerico was part of the modernist movement in Barolo during the 80’s and 90’s, using winemaking methods which went against the grain of tradition such as reducing maceration times and aging their wines in French barriques.

Generous, exuberant and powerful, Clerico’s wines are made without compromise. Grapes are harvested at optimal maturity from low yielding vineyards in the superb terroirs of Monforte d’Alba. The resulting wines show great density and colour, and are built for extended cellaring. While Clerico has always used barriques for all of his cuvées, much of them new, he has recently changed course and has toned down his use of oak. Both the Dolcetto “Visadi” and Barbera “Trevigne” are now made in stainless steel tanks while the precentage of new oak used for his Barolos has been reduced.

After 30 years at the helm of the enterprise he founded, Angelo Sonvico left La Barbatella in 2011. The new owner, Lorenzo Perego, has continued Sonvico’s legacy by assuring that Barbatella wines are of the same high quality that placed them amongst the best in all of Italy. On the hillsides of Nizza Monferrato, Barbatella’s vineyards are some of the premier terroirs in Asti with south and southeast facing slopes. Contrary to Langhe, where the best vineyards are planted with nebbiolo, here these exceptional terroirs are given to barbera.

The Monferrato appellation can be puzzling as you can find such a wide diversity of grape varieties. More so than most appellations, it’s vital to know who made the wine before you pop the cork. The estate’s flagship cuvée, the Monferrato Sonvico, a blend of equal parts barbera and cabernet sauvignon, has a well-deserved reputation as one of Italy’s top wines, receiving over ten “Tre Bicherrieri” awards from the prestigious Gambero Rosso. While stunning in youth, it’s a wine that will gain even more depth with a stint in a cellar. For more immediate consumption, the cuvée Ruanera, a unique blend of barbera with small amounts of cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir, is always an astute purchase.