The land of Barbera and the hunchback cardoon
In the heart of the hills of the Monferrato Astigiano, south of Asti, Nizza Monferrato is the capital of Barbera, the most widespread red grape of Piedmont, which gives a fresh, lively wine with good acidity and notes of cherry and plum. The best wines of this area, aged for at least eighteen months, carry the name Nizza DOCG, an appellation recognised in 2014, among the most prestigious expressions of Barbera. The surrounding hills, covered with vineyards and dotted with farmhouses and villages, are part of the UNESCO site of the vineyard landscapes of Piedmont.
The town, on the Belbo river, has an elegant centre with arcaded streets and the Palazzo Comunale, with its tall bell tower, the "Campanon", the symbol of Nizza. In the Bersano winery, the Museo delle Contadinerie displays tools and objects of peasant life and a collection of old wine prints. Nizza is also famous for the Cardo Gobbo, the hunchback cardoon, a Slow Food presidium: its stems are buried under the earth in autumn, which makes them bend and become white, tender and sweet, so they can be eaten raw, dipped in the warm bagna cauda. In May the town celebrates its wine with the event "Nizza è Barbera", and in November the cardoon festival.
Tip: the wine shops and wineries of Nizza offer tastings of Barbera and Nizza DOCG; try the cardo gobbo in late autumn, the best season.
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