Wine of the Week: 2010 Giovanni Almondo Roero Arneis ‘Vigne Sparse’
Arneis was a grape that was practically extinct when Alfredo Currado of Vietti and Bruno Giacosa brought it back from obscurity in the early ‘70s. Theirs are still benchmark examples, but I also like very much the Arneis from Giovanni Almondo.
On one of these lovely spring evenings, this 2010 Arneis makes a perfect aperitif. It’s light and refreshing, perfumed with white peaches. And yet there’s an underlying minerality that gives it some weight. Never one-dimensional, Almondo’s 2010 “Vigne Sparse” Arneis is one of the best I’ve tasted. It’s dangerous to open a bottle too soon, though: It may not quite make it to the table.
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Price: About $19
Style: Light and refreshing
What it goes with: Grilled shrimp, fish tacos, seafood pasta and paella, Asian food
Where to find it: Du Vin Wine & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 855-1161, https://www.du-vin.com; Mission Wines in South Pasadena, (626) 403-9463, https://www.missionwines.com; and Wally’s Wine & Spirits in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606, https://www.wallywine.com.
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