When many of us think of Italian wines, the first that spring to mind are hearty, food-friendly reds: Chianti and its Tuscan neighbors; Barolo and Barbaresco from the Northwest, and from down south, Primitivo from Puglia and the dark, intense Nero d’Avolas of Sicily.

But Italy is rich with wine variety, perhaps more so than any other nation. We intend to highlight this happy reality this month, as our monthly Wine Focus on the WineLovers Discussion Group zeroes in on the rest of Italy’s vast wine cellar.

We’ll check out all its great diversity of white wines, and much more. There’s pink (rosato), for example; and even the lighter-style reds, from Pinot Nero of the North to Dolcetto, Barbera and Freisa of Piemonte, simple Valpolicella, Bardolino, even the artisanal bottlings that remind us there is more to Lambrusco than “chill a Cella.”

So bring ’em on this month! Let’s compare, contrast and talk about the best of the rest, “light and white” Italian wines.

To join in, all you have to do is click to the WineLovers Discussion Group – log in via Facebook if you use it – and head for the conversation “Wine Focus for April: Italians, white or light.”

My first tasting report for the month features a light, snappy and aromatic white from Northern Italy, Ca’Rossa 2013 “Merica” Roero Arneis. To break that down a bit, it’s made from white Arneis grapes grown in the Roero region of Northwestern Italy’s Piemonte region. Although Piemonte is best known for big red wines made from Nebbiolo, Roero in particular has made the Arneis grape its own, bringing this ancient local variety back from the brink of extinction in recent years. You’ll find my tasting report below.

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Today’s Tasting Report

Ca’Rossa 2013 “Merica” Roero Arneis ($15.99)

This is a clear, bright straw color wine, with golden glints against the light. Fresh citrus aromas, lemons and limes, lead into a full, bright flavor with peachy aromatics joining the chorus. It seems just a little sweet at first, but crisp, zingy acidity keeps the overall impression dry, with a pleasant peach-pit bitterness creeping in on the finish. Good food wine at a gentle 12.5% alcohol. As we move on into spring and summer, it could also make a fine wine for alfresco dining or sipping on the patio. U.S. importer: Vanguard Wines, Columbus, Ohio. (Apeil 1, 2015)

FOOD MATCH: It should go well with just about any standard white-wine match, from poultry and pork to creamy cheeses. It was fine for us with a dinner salad featuring mild goat cheese, and a seeded baguette alongside.

WHEN TO DRINK: There’s no rush to drink it, but this kind of lighter white probably shows at its best when it’s young and fresh.

VALUE: It’s a good quality white, not entirely out of line in the mid-teens in the current market. I’m hearing a lot of chapter about the shifting relationship between the dollar and the euro leading to lower prices for Euro-wines over the coming year, so keep an eye out.

WEB LINKS This is producer Ca’Rossa’s website. It’s published in Italian and English, but appears to detect your location and deliver English pages to visitors from the U.S. or U.K.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Unfortunately, Wine-Searcher.com is returning only Italian vendors for Dei Rosso di Montepulciano at this time. If you’d like to find the wine, though, bookmark this site and recheck it now and then, as the wine is moving into the U.S..

You may be able to get more information from U.S. distributor Vanguard Wines, which distributes in Ohio and a few nearby states.

Meanwhile, check this Wine-Searcher.com list of vendors for hundreds of other Roero Arneis.

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