Arneis is a white wine grape that is grown in the Piedmont region of Northwestern Italy, most notably in Lange DOC and Roero DOC.  It is  primarily grown in the Roero DOC, which is the region that it originated from.  It tends to be difficult  to grow, and Arneis literally means “little rascal”, due to the grape’s erratic ripening .  Despite the difficulty in growing the grape, Arneis can produce very good wines with excellent aromatics and flavors.

2012 Castello Di Neive Arneis

The Arneis I tried was a 2012 produced by Castello Di Neive, which is a family run estate winery consisting of 150 acres located in the town of Neive, which is within the Lange DOC.   From the Montebertotto vineyard, the vines were planted in 1977 and sit in a calcareous marl soil.  The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks for 3 months, then bottle aged for another 3 months.  This wine had a straw color, with a crisp nose of fresh apples and pears.  It had good acidity on the palate along with a hint of honey, and a nice clean finish with a touch of almond.  I found it to be a very refreshing and enjoyable wine.  I could see this being paired with a variety of dishes, and even enjoyed on its own.  This was definitely a wine worth purchasing, and if you are not familiar with Arneis, I would recommend giving it a try it for sure.

Cheers,

Seth