Arneis

Arneis is the white grape of the Roero, the hills across the Tanaro. It gives fragrant, fresh wines with notes of pear, apple and white flowers. It almost disappeared; today it is the best-known white wine of the area.

Arneis at a glance

• Colour: white grape
• Origin: Roero, Piedmont
• Budburst: April
• Flowering: late May to June
• Veraison: August
• Harvest: September
• Pruning: Guyot
• Main wines: Roero Arneis DOCG and Langhe Arneis DOC

Name and history

In Piedmontese dialect arneis means something like "little rascal" or "difficult one". That refers to the grape itself, which is temperamental to grow. Arneis used to grow among the Nebbiolo. According to tradition, it ripened earlier so that the birds went for the Arneis and left the precious Nebbiolo alone. It was also sometimes added to Nebbiolo to soften the wine.

By the 1960s Arneis had almost disappeared. A few producers in the Roero started making it again as a single-variety wine, and after that things moved quickly. Roero Arneis gained DOC status in 1989 and has been a DOCG since 2004.

In the vineyard

Arneis grows mainly on the sandy soils of the Roero, on the left bank of the Tanaro. That loose, poor soil holds little water and gives fragrant, refined wines. The grape is prone to disease and quickly loses acidity if left hanging too long. The timing of the harvest is therefore critical.

The wines of Arneis

• Roero Arneis DOCG: at least 95% Arneis from the Roero. There is also a Riserva, aged for at least 16 months, and a sparkling version.
• Langhe Arneis DOC: at least 85% Arneis, also from the Langhe side of the Tanaro.

Taste and style

Arneis is straw yellow, sometimes with a green glint. On the nose pear, apple, yellow peach, white flowers, chamomile and sometimes a little almond. On the palate it is fresh and soft at the same time, with moderate acidity and a slightly bitter, almond-like finish. Most Arneis is drunk young. A good Roero Arneis can gain depth over a few years in bottle.

Food with Arneis

Arneis is a lovely aperitif and goes with fish, shellfish, vegetable risotto, vitello tonnato, white meat and fresh or semi-hard cheeses.

Our Arneis wines

See all our Arneis wines, or discover the other grape varieties of Piedmont.