White Wine Grapes, Part 4: Arneis

This series started out as an examination of some of the more interesting white blending grapes of Europe.  We will have to depart from that theme for this post though because the quality of the 2013 Ceretto Arneis tasted here last week so interrupted our concentration we thought Arneis was worth pursuing here.  Arneis (ahr-NAYZ) is historically a blending grape of sorts though, since it softens Nebbiolo tannins when constituting two or three percent of the great red Barolos of Piedmont.  Otherwise Arneis is the premier stand-alone white grape of Piedmont, the premier wine region of Italy.

Ampelographers believe Arneis is native to Piedmont although its age is unknown.  The problem there is that, like so many others, Arneis has had many names in different places and at different historical times.  The oldest written references to wines thought to be Arneis go back to the 1400's.  Currently there are ten names in use in Italy including the obvious misnomers, "White Nebbiolo" and "White Barolo".

So what makes Arneis special?  If you appreciate a wine description like "crisp, floral, dry, and full-bodied with pears and apricots", then you might like Arneis.  Another source says "rich and viscous", "similar to Viognier and Pinot Blanc" with aromas and flavors of "almonds, peach, vanillin, and flowers".  If you're keeping score, someone else says "highly perfumed with hazelnut, almonds, apricots, peaches, and pears".  So what this should tell you is that even allowing for differences in wine making and terroir, this wine is complex.  The Ceretto I tasted here last week, by the way, was most similar to the middle description and would have been served well with seafood of any kind.

Within the Piedmont appellation, two locations make the best Arneis wines.  Langhe is close to the southwest corner of Piedmont while Roero is about twelve miles to the northwest.  Both locations are hilly but Langhe has clay soils while Roero is chalky and sandy.  In Langhe the wine offers more in the way of perfume while Roero Arneis has heightened acidity.  Both regions were granted DOC status by the Italian government in the 1980's but Roero received its DOCG in 2006.

Arneis means "little rascal" and refers to a difficult, demanding person which is what Arneis is to the viticulturist.  It is an early ripening grape susceptible to powdery mildew which produces a low acid wine which oxidizes easily.  Even if an Arneis harvest is good, the yield will still be low.  The grape is so difficult to produce well, it was almost allowed to become extinct.

Arneis has a love-hate relationship with Nebbiolo, the crown jewel of Piedmont wines.  Because Nebbiolo is so revered, Arneis and every other grape grown in Piedmont grape suffers.  At its worst, since Arneis was the sweeter grape, it was planted in Nebbiolo vineyards to attract birds away from the Nebbiolo.  Looking at the situation differently, one may conclude that because Nebbiolo is the bread and butter of Piedmont, Arneis never has been afforded optimal vineyard placements further disadvantaging its success and contributing to its "difficult" reputation.


Join us this Friday, June 12th after 5pm, when Rose Adams representing Aveleda of Portugal offers us a tasting of quintessential summer wines.  Along with Aveleda's strong suit in white wine, we will be showing a couple reds and their fine light rose.  Our usual spread of cheeses will also be offered.