Great value from a grape brought back from extinction

Fontanafredda Roero Arneis | Italy | LCBO Code #577700 | $20.95 | 750 ml,13.6% alc. | 2 g/l res. sugar

Arneis, much like another Italian white grape Pecorino, was brought back from near extinction and is now more widely enjoyed than ever.

It was long thought that the name Arneis, meaning “little rascal,” got its name because it has a reputation for being difficult to grow. As with many historical so-called “facts” this is now in dispute.

It is native to the Piedmont region of Italy famous for the red wine Nebbiolo, where locals refer to it as “white Nebbiolo.” This is a bit of an honorific bestowed on a grape that was seen as unworthy of continued cultivation. Then again the same was thought of Nebbiolo and now these wines are some of the most expensive and sought-after in the world.

Arneis comes at various price points and at $21 this Fontanafredda bottling is a right bargain. It offers up notes of chervil, orange blossom and juicy nectarine. The mid-palate is ripe and a little fatter than you’d expect for the money, giving a very satisfying chew to the bright citrus and mineral finish.

It has only two grams per litre of residual sugar which, of course, has translated into a higher alcohol but it has lost none of its fruit character for the higher abv. This is well-made wine worth trying.

In fact, while some Pinot Grigio is very good, I find the bulk of them in this market uninteresting and sometimes over-priced. I therefore strongly recommend exploring other Italian white wines such as Grillo, Pecorino, Arneis, Falanghina and Inzolia. All are either available at or pass through the LCBO Vintages system.

For this Arneis, I recommend savoury salads featuring fruit, grilled calamari or baked white fish with herbs and drizzled in olive oil.

As of this writing, there are 180 bottles in the Ottawa market.