Arneis

​They weren’t top billing, only had a small part behind a great star, a sidekick much like Tonto to the Long Ranger.  They often appeared before the King when Italy still had a king.  Then their producers decided to drop them, and they almost completely disappeared.  Eventually, they were given their own show.  It is still a pretty small show, but has reached from northwestern Italy to southern California.
I am talking about grapes, of course.  A specific white grape variety known as Arneis.  For many years, this grape was grown in the same fields as Nebbiolo to be blended into the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings, Barolo.  But then the producers of Barolo decided that the wine should be made only from Nebbiolo grapes, and the Arneis vines were forgotten.  Indeed, the grape variety almost became extinct.
Fortunately, some producers found value in this grape, creating an Arneis varietal.  How it found its way to Southern California is a bit of a mystery (well, to me anyway), but it is here and I, for one, am very, very glad.  I was surprised to find out how rare this grape variety is, having found it at no less than four Temecula wineries I assumed it was a relatively common wine.
My first taste of this wine was at Ponte, and it impressed right away.  Their version is not very acidic, much like a Viognier but with more of a pear aroma and taste with a bit of stone fruit.  Pretty nice wine to have with lighter Italian fare or when you just feel like drinking a glass of white wine.
Now I know what you are thinking:  if this grape makes such a great wine, why aren’t more people growing it?  Well, the answer is in the name.  You see, the grape originates in the Piedmont region of Italy.  In Piemontese, the name means literally “little rascal”.  I have also heard it called the “little bitch”.  You see, crop yields are low and it is prone to attack by powdery mildew.  I should add that if you pick it even a little too late the grapes will be overripe – which might explain why they are also used to make a sweet wine using the passito method where the grapes are dried outside in cages.