Think autumn, think Piedmont – wine from ‘the foot of the mountain’

North-west Italian wines deliver a range of styles, but its alluring reds are the perfect match for the season’s dark, chilly evenings

By the time this column comes out, it will be Big Coat weather, so those collars will be getting higher and the scarves thicker. And, when there’s a chill in the air, I like to eat food than leans towards smoky and earthy flavours: charred vegetables, stews, sausages and mushroom everything.

For this type of cooking and living, I tend to turn to north-west Italian reds, particularly those from Piedmont. You’ll find a range of wine styles in this region – Gavi di Gavi and moscato d’Asti are both made here – but there’s something about its red wines that I find helplessly alluring and seductive. The word Piedmont means “at the foot of the mountain”, a reference to its proximity to the Alps, and its wines are of international renown, even though they make up only a tiny fraction (less than 5%) of Italy’s total production. Demand for them is high, so expect prices to start a little higher, too (apologies in advance).