The renaissance of Arneis is no longer news: it rightly appears on any decent Italian wine list, and a visit to the Roero growing area is – or should be – on any wine-lover’s itinerary.
But this has not always been the case: as recently as the 1980s only two winemakers were bottling a still, dry Arneis (previously it had been vinified sweet), and the grape was almost extinct.
Drawn by its distinctive perfume of white fruit and white flower, with its firm body and good acidity, the wine has achieved considerable popularity. A great many wineries are bottling Arneis under the Roero Arneis DOCG with, more recently, a Riserva suffix present. In both cases there is no obligation to age in oak, although some winemakers choose to. The non-riserva requires a minimum four-month ageing, while the Riserva requires 16 months.
Winemakers we work with in the UK include Marco Porello (buy online at the Cuculo website), Massucco, Cascina Chicco and Tenuta Carretta.
MTW customers visit at least one of these wineries as part of their visit to the region, whether accompanied or on the Borderlands I self-guided walk.
📸 www.ivinidelpiemonte.com