Strada dei Vini DOC Castel del Monte Two days on the Murgia from Terlizzi to Trani, following the wine road's own town itineraries: the cathedral towns of Ruvo and Corato, Frederick II's octagon, Minervino's ridge and Tormaresca's Bocca di Lupo, Andria's burrata dairies and Rivera, then Moscato di Trani at the harbour. 115 kilometres, Nero di Troia all the way.

What to taste here

• Castel del MonteDOC Crifo, the land-reform cooperative, is the member cellar; its range is the cheapest way through the DOC
• Nero di Troia The grape of the whole road, late, tannic and scented; ask for it unblended

The whole old centre inside Corso Carafa, Corso Cavour, via Griffi, Corso Jatta and Corso Gramsci is a 24 hour restricted zone with five camera gates, so park on those boulevards and walk in. U.P.E.P.I.D.D.E. has been in the borgo antico since 1990; it closes on Monday.

Where to eat

Orecchiette con brasciole, 18 euro; the food tasting menu is 60 euro

U.P.E.P.I.D.D.E.. Vico Sant'Agnese 2, in the borgo antico since 1990; Tuesday to Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch, closed Monday

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What to taste here

• Castel del Monte Nero di Troia RiservaDOCG Two years' ageing from 1 November of the harvest, at least one in wood, and 13 per cent minimum; Torrevento and Carpentiere both make one
• Castel del Monte Rosso RiservaDOCG The blended Riserva, Nero di Troia led, from the same hills
• Coratina olive oil The bitter, peppery cultivar named for the town; buy it where you taste the wine

The centre inside via Mazzini, Corso Cavour, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, Corso Garibaldi and Largo Plebiscito is restricted on weekday evenings and holiday mornings; park outside it. Torrevento, founded in 1950 by the Liantonio brothers, runs tastings and guided walks in vineyard and cellar, and Cantine Carpentiere is 4.6 kilometres from the castle.

Where to eat

Orecchiette with cime di rapa, 11 euro, and bombette off the grill, 14 euro

La Locanda Du Baron. Vico I Lops 2, in the old centre; open every day, recipes handed down in the family; book on 392 695 2112

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What to taste here

• Castel del MonteDOC Cantine Carpentiere's vines are on the hills around the castle, 4.6 kilometres from the gate
• Castel del Monte Rosso RiservaDOCG The bottle to open back at the hotel after the climb

Cars stop at the car park on the SS170 dir/A, 5 euro; the shuttle to the gate is 2 euro return, or walk the last few hundred metres. The ticket office shuts at 17:00. Cantine Carpentiere's vines are on the hills around the castle, 4.6 kilometres away.

Where to taste

Wines to Try

A few wines from the estates above.

DOC 2 retailers

Torrevento

Castel del Monte Rosso DOC Bolonero Torrevento

Aglianico

2 retailers

From

£10.30

+ delivery

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DOC 1 retailer

Torrevento

Torrevento Dulcis in Fundo

Moscato

1 retailer

From

£11.00

+ delivery

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DOC 1 retailer

Torrevento

Pezzapiana Castel del Monte DOC White

Bombino Bianco

1 retailer

From

£11.80

+ delivery

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What to taste here

• Castel del MonteDOC Minervino is the only comune entirely inside the zone; Bocca di Lupo sits at 250 metres on its slope
• Aglianico Tormaresca's Bocca di Lupo is an Aglianico, not a Nero di Troia; Monte Vulture, the grape's volcano, is the view from Piazza Gramsci

Tormaresca's other estates are closed to visitors; Bocca di Lupo takes guided visits and tastings booked through tenutaboccadilupo.it. Casa Scesciola cooks the Alta Murgia at Vico III via Vescovado 22, Tuesday to Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch. The Sagra del Fungo Cardoncello fills Piazza Bovio on the last weekend of October.

Where to eat

The Alta Murgia's old flavours from zero-kilometre produce

Casa Scesciola. Vico III via Vescovado 22, in the Scesciola quarter; Tuesday to Saturday 12:30 to 15:00 and 20:30 to 22:00, Sunday lunch, closed Monday; book a table through the site

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What to taste here

• Castel del Monte Rosso RiservaDOCG Il Falcone is Rivera's Rosso Riserva DOCG, from a family cellar here since the 1950s
• Castel del Monte Nero di Troia RiservaDOCG Puer Apuliae, Rivera's varietal Riserva, is picked at the end of October
• Moscato di TraniDOC Andria's dairies pair it with almond pastry; the DOC starts on the coast below

The old centre inside Piazza Porta La Barra, via Orsini, Piazza Settimo and via Jannuzzi is restricted from 20:30 to 05:00 every night, so an evening arrival parks outside the ring. Rivera sells guided tours and tastings through esperienze.rivera.it; Conte Spagnoletti Zeuli and Tenuta Cocevola are the other member cellars around the town.

Where to eat

Burrata di Andria IGP, made on the premises

Caseificio Olanda. Via Santa Maria dei Miracoli 150, a dairy making burrata in Andria since 1988; the IGP dates from 2016

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What to taste here

• Moscato di TraniDOC Sweet Moscato from dried grapes, the town's own DOC; drink it with the almond tarts the association pairs it with
• Castel del MonteDOC Part of Trani's territory is in the DOC too, on the coastal plain seven metres above the sea

Park at Piazza Castello, 130 spaces at 0.80 euro an hour beside the cathedral; the old town lanes behind it are closed to cars from 11:00 until 08:00 the next morning, and the port road from 20:00 on summer evenings. Le Lampare al Fortino is on the Sant'Antonio mole. Trani station is on the Bari to Foggia line.

Where to eat

Raw fish from the market, in a 12th century church; tasting menus from 100 euro

Le Lampare al Fortino. Via Tiepolo on the Sant'Antonio mole: the church of Sant'Antuono, built in the 12th century and swallowed by the 1541 fort; closed Tuesdays unless a holiday

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