Winemaker Notes
Grower/winemaker Maurizio Fiorano likes his Petite Arvine racy and vibrant, with a core of luminous fruit. The aroma transports you to a lost Soundof-Music-esque alpine meadow, and the finish is packed with a stony crunchiness that lingers and slakes thirst.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of white blossoms accent this wine’s juicy pear and brisk lemon flavors. The fruit verges on tartness, enhancing the wine’s refreshment factor. Zesty and buoyant, it can be enjoyed with or without food.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
Claiming an impressive list of autochthonous varieties, Valle d'Aosta is a long, narrow valley, formed by Italy’s extreme northwestern Alps. The region, a natural gateway between Italy and France, is also home to many grape migrants from France and its more southerly Italian neighbors. Not surprisingly, wine labels are often written in Italian and French.
The main whites here include: Petite Arvine and Prié blanc (Blanc de Morgex). For reds: Fumin, Cornalin, Mayolet, Petit Rouge, Premetta, Vuillermin, Neblou, and Vien de Nus are unique to the region. French ones that do well are Gamay noir, Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Pinot gris (confusingly called Malvoisie in Aosta but it is not related to Malvasia). Italian grapes common here include Moscato, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and from farther away, Ciliegiolo.