Petite Arvine DOC
A white grape that came from the Valais over the Great St Bernard
This white grape variety comes from the Swiss Valais, on the other side of the Great St Bernard pass. No one knows exactly when it reached the Aosta Valley. It only became common there in the last decades of the 20th century. Today, Petite Arvine is one of the named varieties of the Valle d’Aosta DOC.
A late ripener
The grape ripens late, often in October. It needs well-exposed slopes and stony soils that warm up quickly. It is found mainly in the central valley, around Aosta and Saint-Pierre.
The pioneers
The Institut agricole régional in Aosta studied and preserved the variety. Private estates, such as the Anselmet winery, then showed what it could do. It is also made by Les Crêtes and at the Cave des Onze Communes.
Aromas and taste
On the nose there is grapefruit, other citrus fruit and white flowers. On the finish, a slight salty note is typical of the variety. The acidity is lively. Young, the wine is very fresh. After a few years in the cellar, some bottles develop notes of honey.
What to eat with it
Trout and lake fish, fontina, dishes with mountain herbs.
