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As they head south on the motorway towards Piemonte’s celebrated wine regions, Langhe and Monferrato, many visitors are unaware that they are crossing another major wine region, just 30 minutes south of Lago Maggiore.

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This area encompasses the following wine regions: Colline Novaresi (Novara hills), Ghemme, Sizzano, Boca, and Fara; generically, the entire region is often referred to as Colline Novaresi.

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In addition, just over the Sesia river in the province of Vercelli, there is the renowned Gattinara wine region.

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The Ghemme and Gattinara appellations have been awarded DOCG status and therefore have to comply with particularly strict rules and regulations whilst the other wine regions have been awarded the slightly less stringent DOC quality designation.

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The quality of local wine has steadily increased over the last decade and some cantine, such as Travaglini in Gattinara, can now vie with their more famous cousins, the world-famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines, also made from the same nebbiolo grape variety. Nebbiolo is used either on its own (in purezza) or with small quantities of other grapes such as Vespolina or Uva Rara.

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The origin of the name nebbiolo is lost in the mists of time, though, fittingly, the most likely reference is to nebbia (mist/fog). In fact, many attribute nebbiolo’s success to this special ingredient, a wispy veil of early morning mist that wraps itself around the hills in the early morning before being burnt off by the rising sun.

 

Winemaking is also undergoing a revival much further north in the mountainous Ossola valley and on a very small scale at Angera where you can find the only vineyards overlooking Lago Maggiore.

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If you’re looking for the full wine-tasting experience with a guided visit to the winery, constantly topped up glasses and plates of cheese and local delicacies, you once had to head to southern Piemonte. Fortunately, more and more local wineries are now offering wine-tasting though most are unable to organise a session at short notice or for individuals or couples.

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The most popular choice, just 22 minutes from Arona, is Fontechiara (link); they are nearly always able to slot in guests, even at short notice. Another great option is Barbaglia.

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Prices for wine-tasting range from 15 to 25 Euro per person and a decent bottle of local wine will usually cost over 12 Euro.