Collection: Arneis

Arneis is a white grape variety with roots in Piemonte in north-western Italy. Its true home is Roero on the left bank of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo, and from here it has spread to a number of municipalities in Piemonte such as Canale, Corneliano d'Alba, Piobesi d'Alba, Vezza d'Alba, Monteu Roero and Castagnito. The name itself comes from an old locality, Renesio di Canale, and evolved through the forms Renexij and Arnesio into the Arneis we know today. With us you will find Arneis from Piemonte itself, the grape's core area.

Historically, Arneis was grown in more ways than many people think. It was used as a sweet wine, as a table grape and even planted in among the red vines to lure pests away from them. It was also blended into Barolo and Barbera to soften the high acidity of the red wines. Today, by contrast, Arneis is made first and foremost as a dry white wine.

In the vineyard Arneis grows tall and upright, not unlike Nebbiolo, and it has great vigour. It ripens early, but quickly loses its acidity once it reaches optimal ripeness, and ripening can be irregular. For that reason it demands precise timing at harvest. It is a grape that makes demands, both in the field and in the cellar, where it is prone to oxidising. Many wine producers therefore work with reductive methods to preserve its aromatic complexity.

What makes Arneis interesting to follow from glass to glass is that it reflects its soil. Wines from sandy, calcareous soils with marl express themselves differently from wines from more clayey soils, and the result is complex, terroir-driven wines that tell of the place they come from. If you want to explore the variety, Piemonte is the natural place to begin, and this is also where our selection has its origins.