ROERO ARNEIS DOCG-

We have spent more time on the reds of Italy than the whites.  We are going to change that and look at 2 Italian white wines from the Piedmont region.

Italian whites can be viewed by some to be too light and not very flavorful.  Compared to California Chardonnay, most of the white wines from Italy would be lighter in texture and not as bold.

However, there is more to great tasting white wine than being bold.  I will expose you to some excellent white wines from all over Italy but we will focus on the Piedmont region today.  

Piedmont is the northwestern part of Italy.  Known primarily for its red grapes of Nebbiolo, Barbera & Dolcetto, there are plenty of tasty white grapes growing to provide great pleasure to your wine drinking.

These two grapes/wines, Arneis & Timorasso are some of my personal favorites.

Arneis is a white grape that is somewhat difficult to grow and develop into a wine.  But when they get it right, what a wine!  Glad they worked through the difficulty to produce this wine. 

Arneis in Piedmontese language means “little rascal” due to its difficulty.

One interesting thing about Arneis is the grape was grown amongst the Nebbiolo vines so the birds would eat the sweet Arneis grapes (they ripened earlier) and leave the Nebbiolo grapes alone.  What a sacrifice! 

Prior to that it was nicknamed “white Barolo” and in some cases, many years ago, was put into the Barolo to soften the wine.

The area where most of the Arneis is produced is in the Roero area just north of the Barolo region. 

It is known as Roero Arneis DOCG.

It wasn’t until the late 1960’s that they began to produce and bottle Arneis to sell in the marketplace. 

Vietti and Giacosa wineries were two of the first major producers of Arneis.

They still make outstanding wines today!

Most white wines are meant to be consumed early and not to put aside to age in the cellar.  However, some producers are putting Arneis in oak barrels or aging in the bottle for several years before releasing them to the public.

They are quite nice, with layers of flavor consistent throughout.

Arneis is bright, medium-bodied, slightly floral (honeysuckle) yet quite aromatic in the nose. Pear, honey, & apple flavors in the mouth.  

Generally, this dry wine has great acidity to pair with many food flavors.  For me, the brightness & liveliness of this wine is so appealing for year-round everyday drinking.  (You should be able to buy Arneis starting at under $20 retail.)

The Arneis that is aged in barrels for a year or more, are rounder in the fruit flavors, softer acidity, and hints of creaminess with the oak influence.

A few months ago I opened a 2014 Roero Arneis DOCG from Matteo Correggia and it was still fresh and inviting yet that extra layer of flavor due to the aging of the wine.  In this instance, the aging was 6 years in the bottle.  There was no oak used.

I have had other brands that were more fruit forward and milder in the acidity.  Again, it’s about the winery’s “recipe” on what their flavor profile should be, while staying within the confines of the governing wine laws.

I personally love the taste of Arneis.  They are not wimpy at all and have this great balance of fruit to acid.  Great all by itself, yet a wonderful starter wine to get you warmed up for great wine drinking.

Food Pairing-

Great with appetizers, fish, poultry, even pork.  Medium white & brie style cheeses, most non-spicy Asian foods, sushi, or fried foods.  Pizza, cream sauces and truffles would work nicely.  Great on a picnic, or sitting on the porch watching the sun go down!

TIMORASSO-

Is anyone familiar with this grape?  This is the wildcard of the topics today. 

Timorasso is a white grape that was on the brink of extinction.  Thankfully there has been a recent resurgence of this white grape from the Piedmont region. 

It is the grape of Colli Tortonesi Timorasso DOC.

My first encounter with this wine was about 5 years ago.  I read about it from an offering from one of my distributors. 

It intrigued me and I bought some for the wine store.  I thought it was wonderful!

This region, Colli Tortonesi, is mostly a red grape region, Barbera primarily.  They do grow some 10 different white grapes in the area. 

Timorasso was mostly a blending grape until Walter Massa decided to explore its potential in the ‘80s.

Massa started making some great Timorasso wines.  Other producers started to explore making wines with the grape and started to produce some great wines too. 

There are several producers of the wine now and though not inexpensive, (prices should start in the high $30's retail) Colli Tortonesi Timorasso DOC is a tasty treat if you should find one.

For me, Timorasso is reminiscent of White Burgundy.  I loved it!  It had the citrus, and the acidity that I like and expect in northern Italian white wine, but there was this creaminess and lushness that was so pleasantly unique.  Definitely NOT an oak bomb that many attribute to Chardonnay.

It is a wine you sip and savor.  Don’t rush through this wine. 

Take your time.  You will be glad you did.

I agree that many Italian white wines are fresh and zesty and so easy to drink that before you know it, the glass is empty. 

There are exceptions, and this is one of them. 

Relax, take your time drinking this wine.

Speaking of time, the law requires a minimum of 10 months of aging prior to release.  The Riserva requires a minimum of 21 months.  Oak doesn't seem to be a requirement in the aging. 

I researched some different wineries about their methods and I found they all used clay, stainless steel, and oak in various ways.  No hard fast rules however.

This is a wine that can certainly set in the cellar for a few years no problem.  The problem will be finding Timorasso. 

The good news is with this resurgence comes more production and more availability.  We just need to keep an eye out for it and let our wine people know we want some. 

My experience with la Colombera winery was very pleasurable.  

The nose was very aromatic with a lot going on.   

It was medium-bodied, complex, layered, rich and with a full mouthfeel. 

It had great acid, very food friendly, and a smooth finish.

FOOD PAIRING:

There are multiple options in pairing this wine with food.  From fish to poultry, pork, even ground beef will pair with this wine.  Try a triple cream cheese or a cream sauce pasta to bring out the creaminess of the wine. 

A charcuterie plate and friends would start the evening with a bang.  Many, many options available with this wine. 

There’s always just sipping and being grateful that they didn’t let this grape be just another blending grape. 

Grateful that someone saw its potential and developed it into something special.