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Azienda Agricola Filippo Gallino Arneis
2008
Arneis
Crisp
Italy
Seafood
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The northern Italian region of Piedmont is well known for its coveted red wines, especially Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto. Arneis is the indigenous white grape and was all but extinct as recently as the 1970s. This obscure but noble grape is grown in the clay and sandstone hills of Roero, northeast of the small city of Alba. Piedmont's climate is finicky and prone to hail, but in the best vintages this region produces incomparable wines.
This white is an ideal match for northern Italian pasta with a cream and butter sauce, but it's also great with relatively rich seafood like Maine lobster, diver scallops or grilled prawns with butter and garlic. Sole amandine is another fine pairing.
The Gallino estate marries local tradition and modern technology to produce state-of-the-art Piedmont wines. Filippo and Maria Gallino and their family grow Arneis, Barbera and Nebbiolo and harvest the grapes themselves, by hand. The modest 30-acre family estate dates back to 1904, but the winery is thoroughly modern and produces some of the best wines of Roero.
This exotic white has the classic straw-like color of Arneis with aromas of snap peas, lemon drop, honeydew melon and unripe pineapple, and delicate white peach, honeycomb, almond and fresh grass flavors. Arneis is a truly unique wine--a crisp white, but with generous body and texture. It has a bit less body and slightly higher acidity than Chardonnay, and its delicate almond notes come from the grape itself rather than from aging in oak barrels.