Today on Somm Tasting Notes, Nicole Hakli of Momofuku Ssäm Bar joins us to discuss the Piemontese grape varietal Arneis. We caught up with Nicole after our country ham tasting, and she happily obliged us with a bonus tasting of this subtle summer-sipper: The San Vito Pelassa Roero Arneis, courtesy of Golden Ram Imports.
Arneis is a really interesting varietal for those interested in Northern Italian wines. It can typically found blended into the wines of Langhe DOC or, as in today’s featured bottle, in the Roero DOCG. This wine was a welcome wind-down from our Follow that Somm shoot, and Nicole perfectly sums up what makes Roero DOCG such an awesome, underrated wine region: “Arneis would be a good grape to try, because it is a native grape to Piedmont and you’re not going to find this anywhere else in the world.” Sold!
The San Vito Pelassa Roero Arneis delivers strong notes of lemon and lemon zest, “as if you were to express that over an espresso in Italy,” per Nicole. These flavors co-mingle with ripe pear and green and yellow apples on the nose, while delivering minerality and steeliness on the palate. The San Vito Pelassa Roero Arneis uses no oak in its vinification, so you get tons of freshness and more subtle, floral notes of orchard blossom. Nicole does a great job of explaining the complexities of this grape, while highlighting the specific qualities found in this particular bottle from Roero.
If you want to taste the orchard blossom for yourself in this bottle of Arneis from Roero, head to Golden Ram Imports’ Where to Buy page to find your nearest retail location. And if you liked this video and love food and wine, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Like us on Facebook, and Follow us on Instagram. Thanks for watching!
