This high and cool part of Piedmont in western Italy makes Nebbiolo in a refreshing and utterly medium-bodied style that is so great. There are a little alpine herbs and florals, before a flavour dive into red and black cherries and a little pomegranate, with these life-affirming ferrous tannins that just make everything more lively.

One of the truly magical things about Italy is that around every corner, at all points of the country, it's possible to stumble upon a winery making charismatic vino. And so it is we find ourselves in the hamlet of Barge, an ancient village at the base of the Italian Alps in Piedmont, in an area which Leonardo da Vinci declared in 1511 was suitable for growing grapes (and has been famed for wine since the Middle Ages). 'Tradition in a glass' is the motto for the Le Marie winery, where Valerio Raviolo and family craft some classic wines from their 10-hectare plot, crafting a particularly famous sweet wine from the little-known local Malvasia Moscata grape, alongside classic Barbera, Nebbiolo and a rather handy rosato, all delivered with a certain alpine crunch and vitality.