Personally, I'd stick around the Barolo/Langhe/Roero area. It's absolutely stunning, the corner of Italy with the highest number of DOC/DOCG wines per square km, homeland of truffles, agnolotti and many other things that are bad for your heart but delicious.

If that isn't for you and you really feel the urge to go to the Riviera, I'd recommend the French side. Since that's where the money is, it's better kept and more beautiful. I'd serenely give Monaco a miss - unless you want to see high-rise buildings and supercars being driven very slowly - and, instead, concentrate on smaller cities. Nice's a beautiful place, be mindful not to get out at the wrong motorway junction, some parts of the city are, well, rough.