Expensive wine 160: Vietti Arneis 2021

Happy birthday, Mom – this one’s for you

Arneis is an Italian white grape that is known and appreciated by Italian wine geeks, but its fame doesn’t extend much past that. First, it’s an Italian white grape; second, it’s not pinot grigio. And, when it comes to Italian wine, whites take a back seat to reds, and the only white most people care about is pinot grigio.

Which is a shame, because arneis can make subtle, fascinating wine that tastes almost nothing like anything else. The grape usually offers nut flavors (I get almond), as well fresh stone fruit and a bit of richness and minerality.

So why the Vietti Arneis 2021 ($24, purchased, 12%) for my Mom’s birthday today? It’s softer, and not as almondy as some other arneis, but still very well done — subtle tropical fruit, a hint of that tell-tale minerality, and a fine mouth feel.

In this, it’s just the sort of wine she would appreciate – a bit off the beaten path, well-made, and something different to try. Mom is far from a wine geek, but she also understands that there is more to wine than her La Vieille Ferme rose. And yes, that sense of difference is something I got from her.

Happy birthday, Mom.

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