Arneis was a grape that was practically extinct when Alfredo Currado of Vietti and Bruno Giacosa brought it back from obscurity in the early ’70s. Theirs are still benchmark examples, but I also like very much the Arneis from Giovanni Almondo. On one of these lovely spring evenings, this 2010 Arneis makes a perfect aperitif. It’s light and refreshing, perfumed with white peaches. And yet there’s an underlying minerality that gives it some weight. Never one-dimensional, Almondo’s 2010 “Vigne Sparse” Arneis is one of the best I’ve tasted. It’s dangerous to open a bottle too soon, though: It may not quite make it to the table.

● Region: Piedmont, Italy

● Price: About $19

● Style: Light and refreshing

● What it goes with: Grilled shrimp, fish tacos, seafood pasta and paella, Asian food

By S. Irene Virbila

(Los Angeles Times (MCT))

(MCT Information Services)