Nizza Monferrato is a small and charming village, stretching between the Belbo stream and the Rio Nizza and is located not far from Asti, Canelli, Alba and Acqui Terme, and therefore in a typical landscape hilly, whose climate is mild, thus favoring the cultivation of vines and production of wine. And precisely to this the country owes the event that takes place on the first weekend of June: The Barrel Race.

It is a tradition that dates back to the nineteenth century, when the shop garzoni provided for the delivery of the drums, rolling them on the road and engaging real competitions. Today the race is regulated by a regulation and the divine producers of the area participate with their teams. The pushers get ready for the race, training sometimes for a few months (which is seen during the race).

The qualifying round of the race takes place in the morning, while the semifinals and the final in the afternoon. Each team consists of 3 to 4 pushers (plus one manager) who, in turn, can exchange the task of pushing the barrel ('bonsa'). Only one competitor, at a time, must push the barrel that weighs about a kilogram. Everything is controlled by the jury who, in cases of irregularities, can disqualify the team.

I recommend arriving in Nice on Sunday morning or even the day before, because in addition to the Race at the same time, there is Monferrato in Tavola, a food and wine event, during which you can taste the typical dishes of local cuisine (such as tajarén and faseû, duss du dè e d'la nocc or bagna caoda, whose one of the main ingredients, thistle gobbo, is produced right here), accompanied by famous local wines such as Barbera, Moscato, Dolcetto, Brachetto and others among 16 DOC and DOCG wines.