Arneis: little rascal white Barolo

Roero Arneis DOCG

Piedmont growing areas

Arneis is so important to Piedmont oenology that it is commonly called as the "white Barolo".

This vine is native of the Roero area but it gets produced also in other wine districts like the Langhe region. 

Administratively, Piedmont is divided into provinces: Turin is the regional capital, Vercelli is the rice town, Asti and Cuneo are the areas with the amazing good food and wine culture, Biella is the cashmere area, where Zegna is from, Alessandria also famous for its vineyards (Gavi!!), Novara (rice and gorgonzola cheese) and Verbania. 

Wine wise though, Piedmont is divided into growing areas. The richest one (in products) is Langhe in the Cuneo province, near Asti. The capital of the Langhe area is Alba where Nutella is also from. As you can see, Roero is a small hilly area northern of Alba.

HRH Arneis is a DOC white wine. In the local dialect, its name literally means little rascal because its vine is quite hard to cultivate. The Roero variety of Arneis has a DOCG certification and it is the only native white wine in Piedmont.

With all the Arneis varieties there's plenty of choices for everyone. The typical Arneis is usually sparkling yellow with greenish reflexes and it has subtle flowery and fruity flavors: mainly the peaches and nuts from the groves and orchards on the hills near the vineyards. Arneis is dry, slightly acid and with a pleasant bitter aftertaste.

There's also a raisinated (passita) version of Arneis. In this case, the grapes are dried before the vinification to totally eliminate the water. Arneis passito is ideal to pair with desserts because of its honey and nutty scents.

You can also find a still and a sparkling variety made according to the Champenoise and Charmat method.

Cannelloncini with beets, gorgonzola cheese and pistacchios

What to pair with Arneis?

Because of its dry crisp and floral bouquet, Arneis pairs better with light to medium body dishes such as pasta with local cheeses, fish, shellfish, poultry and veal with creamy sauces.

The raisinated variety is served with the desserts like Moscato and Spumante.

Now just picture yourselves savoring scrumptious specialties and sipping a glorious glass of Roero Arneis DOCG right in the middle to its production area: such a fairy tale atmosphere, UNESCO recently declared this vineyard landscape world heritage site! What are you waiting for? hop over here ;)

Priocca, a Roero town