If you know what Arneis is I’d guess you are a certified wine geek. I had never heard of it until we went to Burbank Ranch a few months ago. Arneis is a white wine grape variety originating from Piedmont, Italy. Here in Paso Robles the only place I am aware of that has it is the above mentioned Burbank Ranch.
One of my favorite things in the wine world is trying varieties I have never had as well as labels and vintages I have never had. For me, that is truly the wine adventure. Over the last few years it has been amazing to see so many lesser known varieties here in the Paso Robles area. The last blog post like this that I did was on Charbono, another example of a variety not really known in this area.
Arneis, based on the one we had and the links I am providing for you, tends to be dry and full bodied. It can have flavors of pear, apples, apricot, minerals, honeysuckle, and white peach. Arneis means “little rascal” and it appears to have gotten that name due to a few reasons, one of which is its troublesome attitude on the vine…low-yielding, susceptible to powdery mildew, and in warm seasons struggles to keep acidity.
– What the Wine Searcher says about Arneis
– What Wikipedia says about Arneis
I hope to see more of it here in Paso Robles. It’s a beautiful summer wine for these hot days and you know, I will drink it any other time of year too!
Have you had Arneis before? If so, what do you think?
I’m with you Matt, I’ve never heard of Arneis before, but it sounds delicious, thanks for trying new things and sharing with us. I don’t care much for a heavy acidity with like in most Chardonnays, guess my palate is changing but I always like to taste new wines.
Beverly, if you get the chance give Arneis a try. I really enjoyed it. That’s what the adventure is all about. 🙂 Hope all is well.
I had it for the first time at August Ridge — very nice wine!
http://www.augustridge.com/
Katy, good to know. I want to check their’s out too, now. Would like to see the differences and similarities between the two. Thank you.