Gabriele Cordero. Innav Roero Arneis

Roero Arneis DOCG
Grape: Arneis

There is real depth and richness, in no way heavy, focused peach and citrus fruit, floral, a sea breeze on a summers day. 13.5%

Gabriele Cordero producer page

Arneis was an extremely popular grape for centuries, it suffered badly in the interwar years as the countryside became de-populated and grape varieties that were easier to work took hold. Producers had been put off by its susceptibility to disease and the absolute precision required for the harvest time (a day late and the acidity can be lost). By the 60s it was almost impossible to find Arneis and it had been relegated to a member of the ‘Ucellini’ family of vines whose role was to keep birds off the main crop.

Admittedly, there are still under 1000ha of Arneis, and it has hardly left Piemonte, it is a niche within a niche.  I suspect much of the recent success of Arneis is down to Barolo producers adopting it as their white wine of choice. Arneis grapes were bought from their neighbouring Roero district so that they could make Roero Arneis in their own cellars. The producers of the Roero have now wrestled back the name, and regulations stipulate that Roero Arneis DOCG can only be made within the Roero region.