Almondo’s estate Arneis comes from three different vineyards, hence the name ’Vigne Sparse’, or ‘scattered vineyards.’ These vineyards include both sandy soil and clay. The Vigne Sparse is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.

Many commercial examples of this variety contain noticeable residual sugar, but the Almondo family has gone in another direction entirely; this wine is dry, bright, distinctive, very mineral, very focussed, and absolutely mouthwatering. The wine is pale straw in color with a faint hint of green and shows aromas and flavors of apricot, herbs, wet stones, and citrus rind.

The Roero wine-producing region, on the other bank of the Tanaro river from the famous Barolo and Barbaresco appellations, is one every wine lover should know. Arneis, an extremely useful mid-weight white wine, is grown here, as are some of the most drinkable everyday wines made from Nebbiolo. Arneis is a grape variety that is indigenous to this part of Piedmont, and that very nearly died out. Some decades ago, when there were only a few rows of the variety left, Alfredo Currado of the Vietti winery decided to take a chance and make a small commercial bottling of Arneis. It was a hit, and now it is the flagship of this part of Piedmont, although producers here make excellent Nebbiolo too. (Some famous Barolo and Barbaresco producers own vineyards in this area, and make red wines that complement their more age-worthy bottles.)

Domenico Almondo and his sons Stefano and Federico make the best Roero Arneis. (The estate is named after Domenico’s father.) Their Nebbiolos are excellent, but their Arneis bottlings transcend the type, showing the typical herb and pit fruit aromas and flavors of the variety but with a much more interesting structure than most, almost like bone-dry Riesling. There are three bottlings, Vigne Sparse, Bricco delle Ciliegie, and Le Rive del Bricco; all of them are estate-grown and fermented in stainless steel. These are savory, restrained, mouthwatering white wines.

How about red wine? The best Nebbiolos from the Roero have the same relationship to the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco that Mercurey has to the the wines of the Côte d’Or, which is to say they don’t reach the same exalted heights as their more famous neighbors, but are a lot less expensive and can be drunk much earlier. Which is to say if you’re a wine drinker, rather than a wine collector, you will be enjoying them often. In the last few years Almondo has moved back to fully traditional Nebbiolo winemaking, with longer macerations and aging in large barrels, and the combination of these cellar techniques with great farming makes great Nebbiolo.

The Roero wine-producing region, on the other bank of the Tanaro river from the famous Barolo and Barbaresco appellations, is one every wine lover should know. Arneis, an extremely useful mid-weight white wine, is grown here, as are some of the most drinkable everyday wines made from Nebbiolo. Arneis is a grape variety that is indigenous to this part of Piedmont, and that very nearly died out. Some decades ago, when there were only a few rows of the variety left, Alfredo Currado of the Vietti winery decided to take a chance and make a small commercial bottling of Arneis. It was a hit, and now it is the flagship of this part of Piedmont, although producers here make excellent Nebbiolo too. (Some famous Barolo and Barbaresco producers own vineyards in this area, and make red wines that complement their more age-worthy bottles.)

Domenico Almondo and his sons Stefano and Federico make the best Roero Arneis. (The estate is named after Domenico’s father.) Their Nebbiolos are excellent, but their Arneis bottlings transcend the type, showing the typical herb and pit fruit aromas and flavors of the variety but with a much more interesting structure than most, almost like bone-dry Riesling. There are three bottlings, Vigne Sparse, Bricco delle Ciliegie, and Le Rive del Bricco; all of them are estate-grown and fermented in stainless steel. These are savory, restrained, mouthwatering white wines.

How about red wine? The best Nebbiolos from the Roero have the same relationship to the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco that Mercurey has to the the wines of the Côte d’Or, which is to say they don’t reach the same exalted heights as their more famous neighbors, but are a lot less expensive and can be drunk much earlier. Which is to say if you’re a wine drinker, rather than a wine collector, you will be enjoying them often. In the last few years Almondo has moved back to fully traditional Nebbiolo winemaking, with longer macerations and aging in large barrels, and the combination of these cellar techniques with great farming makes great Nebbiolo.