The tourist season in the Astesana starts in Spring (May) and comes to an end with the onset of winter (December). The start coincides with the various historical festivities and with the large Asti Fair (first Wednesday in May, one thousand years of history, thousands of stalls in the historic centre of the city). This is the moment when the wines from the previous harvest are bottled and the long flower season starts in the Tanaro valley (Isola d'Asti and Costigliole) as does that of vegetable products: the first is the Vinchio Saracen asparagus, produced in the hills; later, in the summer, it is the turn of the peperone quadrato d'Asti (Costigliole).

Another important date is the last week-end in May, when the world Wine Day is celebrated and the Movimento Turismo del Vino Piemonte organises "Cantine Aperte" - guided visits to winemaking companies (some 40 producers take part in this event in the Astesana).

The most vibrant part of the Astesana season starts on the third week-end in June with the historic re-evocation of "The Siege of Canelli" and continues through the summer (July and August host some 40 country festivals, each one of them dedicated to a particular food item.

Cortiglione celebrates the corn threshing and into autumn, when the white truffles are found (from 15 September to the end of December), the harvest is gathered in (from the second week in September to the end of October), the Asti Palio is held (on the third Sunday in September) and the "bagna cauda" rite is celebrated - a typical dish made with olive oil, anchovies and garlic, in which all the vegetables are included above all the crunchy sweet thistle so typical of Nizza Monferrato.