Altre Vie Roero Arneis Anfora 2024
We have 9 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
The Roero occupies the left bank of the Tanaro River, directly across from the Langhe, but geologically it belongs to a different world. Where Barolo's hillsides are composed of compact calcareous clay and fossil marls, the Roero is built on ancient river sands: light, porous, and free-draining in a way that no other zone in Piedmont can match. The Altre Vie Arneis comes from a 3.5-hectare parcel in Valmaggiore, one of the sunnier sub-areas of the Roero, where intense sunlight pushes the fruit to full ripeness early in the season. The variety itself was nearly extinct by the 1970s, saved by a handful of Roero producers who recognized it as worth preserving. Sandy soils are the reason Roero Arneis tastes the way it does: aromatic, mineral, and distinctly lighter on its feet than white wines grown in heavier ground.
The Wine
100% Arneis, farmed biodynamically. The grapes are picked by hand in late August or early September; foot-crushing kicks off fermentation with native yeasts in amphora. The wine ferments for 20 days in the vessel before aging another 6 months without ever leaving it. No fining, no filtration, and a small addition of sulfur at bottling. The result bears some resemblance to a skin-contact white in texture, but without the oxidative heaviness: white flowers, fresh hazelnuts, and stone fruit on the nose; unexpected acidity and grip on the palate; a clean, almondy finish that defines the variety at its best. The 2024 vintage was favorable for Arneis: early harvest in late August predated the heavy September rains that complicated the Nebbiolo picks, and Roero white wines were rated among the strongest categories of the year.
The People
Altre Vie is the négociant project of GianLuca Colombo and Federico Scarzello, launched in 2021. The same duo also makes the wines for Borgogno e Carbone, a label owned by Fabrizio Borgogno and Stefano Carbone, who run More e Macine, one of the best restaurants in La Morra. Colombo spent years as a consulting vigneron across multiple Barolo subzones before founding his own labels; in 2014 he was named Italy's best young winemaker. His philosophy comes down to a single principle: "only the vineyard, the vintage, and the grape should speak." He ferments at temperatures roughly 10 degrees cooler than regional convention, pulling aromatic precision without sacrificing structure. Federico Scarzello is a third-generation winemaker from the village of Barolo, one of the first in the zone to work with spontaneous fermentation, and co-founder of Erpacrife, a project making traditional-method sparkling wines from indigenous Piedmontese grapes. Altre Vie exists to find the best-farmed parcels in Langhe and Roero and let them speak.
Food Pairing
The amphora treatment gives this Arneis grip and texture that make it a better food wine than most in its category. Try it with spaghetti alle vongole, fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and anchovy, a simple grilled branzino with olive oil and herbs, or a plate of vitello tonnato. The saline mineral thread and bright acidity work across the full range of Italian antipasti. It's the kind of bottle that makes you wish you'd opened two.
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Piedmont, framed by the Alps in northwestern Italy, is a land of rolling hills and carefully cultivated vineyards. The continental climate, with its cold winters and warm summers, creates prime conditions for the Nebbiolo grape, which dominates much of the region's red wine production. The Langhe area is home to Barolo and Barbaresco, structured red wines known for their complex aromas, firm tannins, and aging potential. While Nebbiolo is the dominant grape of Piedmont, the region also makes interesting white wines like those from Arneis and Timorasso. Alto Piemonte is a separate region in the north with its own distinctive expressions of Nebbiolo, alongside other red grape varietals.
Italy - Piedmont
Arneis, hailing from Italy's Piedmont region, is a delicate white grape that produces aromatic wines with notes of pear, apricot, and a whisper of almonds, celebrated for their elegance, complexity, and crisp finish. The hills of Roero, just north of Barolo & Barbaresco, are where the best examples are found.
