A white wine variety, Arneis is native to the cool Piedmont region of north west Italy and its name translates to ‘little rascal’ due to its temperamental nature in the vineyard. It is often blended to soften Nebbiolo, but on its own it produces medium-bodied wine with characters of apple, apricot and pears. It’s a fairly recent planting in Australia with growers in King Valley and Mornington Peninsula fostering early plantings. Arneis has great food-matching potential with suggestions including Vietnamese rice paper rolls with hoisin, grilled chicory with walnuts and balsamic, and roasted root vegetable salad dressed with herb oil.