Defended by numerous fortresses and littered with myriad castles, towers and fortified towns, Montferrat is a fertile land, and home to several of Piedmont's best wines (including Barbera and Asti Spumante). The region stretches out from the capital, Asti, which comes to life every year during the Douja d'Or (wine festival) and Palio Race. Don't miss Vezzolano Abbey, one of the finest examples of Piedmontese Romanesque-Gothic architecture.