Roasio sits on the last low hills before the Alps, between Gattinara and Biella in northern Piedmont, a village of around two and a half thousand people spread across a few hamlets, with vineyards on the slopes above and the flat rice plain of Vercelli stretching south below. On clear days, Monte Rosa rises enormous and white to the north-west, and it is hard to concentrate on anything else.
This is a quiet wine corner with a great grape. The Nebbiolo, the variety behind Barolo and Barbaresco further south, is grown here too, on soils of porphyry and old volcanic rock, and the local wines, Bramaterra, Lessona and above all Gattinara, are elegant, firm and long-lived, though much less famous than their southern cousins. Roasio lies inside the Bramaterra zone, and the small producers in the area often sell from the door. In autumn, during the harvest, the lanes smell of crushed grapes.
The riding is excellent and still under the radar. The roads climbing north from the plain towards the Valsesia and the Biella hills are narrow and twisting, through chestnut woods, vineyards and small villages, with tight bends, short steep climbs and good views back over the plain. The surface is generally fair, with patches and gravel in places. Head west towards Biella and you reach the Ricetto di Candelo, a remarkable medieval fortified village built to store grain and wine, and beyond it the road climbs to the great sanctuary of Oropa in the mountains. Head east and you are soon in Gattinara, a town with a long main street, arcades and a tower on the hill above, the Torre delle Castelle, a landmark visible for miles.
Roasio has a fuel station and small shops, and if you need more, Gattinara is about six kilometres away, with supermarkets, bars, restaurants and wine shops. Coffee in a bar in the village is a simple pleasure, and you may find yourself chatting with old men who have farmed these hills all their lives.
The best times are spring, with wild cherry blossom and fresh green, and autumn, with gold and red leaves and the smell of wine. Summer can be hot and humid on the plain, with sudden thunderstorms in the afternoon, so ride early and keep an eye on the sky over the mountains.