Arneis

Arneis is the white grape of the Roero, on the sandy left bank of the Tanaro river opposite Barolo. The name is Piedmontese dialect for something close to little rascal, which growers explain by the way it behaves: it loses acidity fast as it ripens, sets fruit unevenly, and is prone to powdery mildew. It rewards nobody who is careless with the picking date.

It nearly vanished. Its traditional role was to be interplanted among nebbiolo, where its sweeter fruit attracted birds away from the important crop and its juice was blended in to soften nebbiolo's tannin. When that practice ended there was little reason to keep it, and by the 1970s only a few hectares remained in the hands of two or three producers.

The revival began in the 1980s and the grape now has its own DOCG as Roero Arneis. The wine is dry and pale, with pear, white peach, camomile and a distinct bitter almond note on the finish, medium bodied and low to moderate in acidity. It is at its best in the first two years, though a few oak-aged versions hold longer.