In Italy there’s a saying, andare per Langa (heading for Le Langhe), which is used for when you’re off on an adventure. It evokes the long winding roads of the Langhe region of Piedmont, which is UNESCO-listed for its natural beauty.

Compared with other Italian comely, green, rural, hilltop-town-speckled landscapes (Tuscany inevitably springs to mind), Le Langhe remains pretty much off the tourist map, still more popular with the Milanese than with foreign visitors – and most who do come are here for the wine and food.