The leaves had turned. The air was cool and crisp so a fall road trip in the Piedmont to the villages and towns of the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato regions made a lot of sense.

Any time of the year, well-paved highways are an easy way to travel between cities in the Piedmont, to explore hilltop villages, do wine tasting and visit off-the-beaten path destinations. Because the region has a bounty of Barbera, Barolo and Nebbiolo wines, I was happy to be traveling by car so I could carry back wines to share when I returned home.