Great Piedmontese wines are no longer just about reds, which still play the lead role (especially those made from Nebbiolo), both in terms of the number of bottles produced and the number of award-winning labels (first and foremost Barolo and Barbaresco). In recent years, however, the white wine scene has also gained a prominent position, thanks to the dedication and care shown by certain producers for indigenous grape varieties. We're not only referring to Walter Massa and his extraordinary work with Timorasso, but also to Erbaluce, Cortese (used for Gavi), and Arneis, which is currently enjoying a positive phase, with steady growth that may take time, as it involves an increasing number of wineries.
Wines and Grape varieties of the Roero
Here, we focus on Arneis and the best interpretations, particularly from the Roero area, which is undergoing general development aimed at involving and including a large number of producers, as we observed during tastings for the Vini d’Italia 2025 guide by Gambero Rosso.
We are in the hilly area that runs along the left bank of the Tanaro river, named after the noble family that once held feudal rights here. On these loose, sometimes sandy soils, Nebbiolo has obviously found a home, but so too has Arneis.
Like many native Italian grape varieties, Arneis was on the brink of extinction: by the 1970s, only a couple of producers were still vinifying and bottling it. Then, during the following decade, increasing interest from oenologists and consumers pushed production to nearly two million bottles. Producers began to believe in it again, and today it is one of the region’s main white wines. Its slightly almondy note is particularly characteristic. It has held DOC status since 1989.
The best value Roero Arneis wines
While we await the results of the tastings currently underway for the Vini d’Italia 2026 guide, here are the best Roero Arneis wines selected from those with the best quality-to-price ratio. All these labels were reviewed in the Berebene 2025 and Vini d’Italia 2025 guides by Gambero Rosso.
Roero Arneis Cecu d’La Biunda 2023 – Monchiero Carbone
Roero Arneis Cecu d’la Biunda ’23 displays citrus, pepper and white currant notes on the nose, with a fresh, savoury, almost saline palate and a very long, tension-filled finish. The Monchiero family winery offers a range of wines that are true stylistic and qualitative benchmarks for the Roero region. Their vineyards are located in Canale, Vezza d’Alba, Monteu Roero and Priocca, in some of the most renowned crus, featuring the classic Roero varieties—Arneis, Nebbiolo and Barbera. The wines are crafted in a modern style, marked by great clarity, aromatic precision, and typicity. Francesco and Lucrezia have decided to cellar the Arneis Renesio Incisa for another year, but the winery’s range offers no shortage of compelling choices.
Roero Arneis Seminari 2023 – Stefanino Costa
Roero Arneis Seminari ’23 is a wonderful confirmation. It has a rich, complex nose with notes of Kaiser pear and hints of spice and herbs, followed by a sapid, smooth palate with a long, citrusy finish.
Roero Arneis Sarun 2023 – Stefanino Costa
Roero Arneis Sarun ’23 shows notes of verbena, ginger and mandarin, with a pleasant palate of medium length and persistence. The Costa family winery has vineyards on sandy soils in Canale, Montà and Santo Stefano Roero, planted with traditional Roero varieties such as Arneis, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Brachetto. Their wines are made in a traditional style, with a strong focus on expressing typicity without compromising clarity and aromatic precision.
Roero Arneis 2023 – Mario Costa
Among the best of the vintage is Roero Arneis ’23 by Mario Costa, with aromas of sweet citrus, good tension and sapidity, pleasant and long-lasting.
Roero Arneis 2023 – Lorenzo Negro
Lorenzo Negro owns a unified estate surrounding the winery on the Serra Lupini hill, with sandy soils containing silt and clay typical of Roero. He grows Arneis, Barbera, Nebbiolo and small amounts of Albarossa. His wines are modern in style, with a focus on aromatic clarity and expressing the territory’s character. This year, we especially liked the Roero Arneis. The 2023 vintage offers aromas of aromatic herbs and white currant, with a fruity, citrusy, savoury and juicy palate.
Roero Arneis Sant’Anna Ris. 2022 – Lorenzo Negro
Riserva Sant’Anna ’22 has lovely complexity, with tones of sweet citrus, yellow-fleshed fruit and Mediterranean scrub, good body and acidity, long and pleasant.
Roero Arneis 2023 – Cascina Monpissan Gallino Antonio
Roero Arneis ’23 by Cascina Monpissan Gallino Antonio is excellent, with aromas of citrus, Mediterranean scrub and Madernassa pear, and a fresh, vibrant, pleasant and long-lasting palate.
Roero Arneis Le Tre 2023 – Malabaila di Canale
Roero Arneis Le Tre ’23 is excellent too, with intense aromas of pear, wisteria and almond, and a palate with good body and length. The Malabaila family has been involved in viticulture and wine trading since the 16th century. Today, the estate, founded in the late 1980s, owns a 90-hectare estate with loose, marly and sandy soils, planted with Roero's typical grapes such as Arneis, Nebbiolo, Favorita, Brachetto and Dolcetto, including vines over 60 years old. Their wines follow a modern style, respectful of terroir and drinkability.
Roero Arneis 2023 – Antica Cascina dei Conti di Roero
Roero Arneis ’23 by Antica Cascina dei Conti di Roero is excellent, with a wide-ranging nose of grapefruit, peach and white pepper, and a juicy, citrusy palate with good tension and length. The rest of the range was less brilliant than in other years but remains consistently correct and well-made.
Roero Arneis 2023 – Cascina Lanzarotti
Roero Arneis ’23 by Cascina Lanzarotti is excellent, a highly typical vintage Arneis with aromas of white currant, almond and jasmine, savoury, fresh and smooth. Cascina Lanzarotti began in the late 19th century as a diversified farm, with livestock, fruit, maize, forage and wine. Wine bottling began in the early 1990s, and about 20 years ago the family decided to focus solely on winemaking. A cellar renovation in 2020 marked a clear step up in quality.
Roero Arneis Renesio 2023 – Malvirà
Roero Arneis Renesio ’23 is excellent, with notes of flat peach, citrus and white pepper, fresh, savoury, long and juicy. The Damonte brothers’ Malvirà estate has long been a benchmark for Roero. Their vineyards are located in some of the region’s most prized crus, such as Mombeltramo, Renesio, Trinità and more, where Arneis, Barbera and Nebbiolo thrive on the Tanaro’s left bank, along with a Barolo vineyard in La Morra. Longevity and terroir expression are hallmarks of their wines.
Roero Arneis Tucci 2022 – Pelassa
Roero Arneis Tucci ’22 offers aromas of citrus and Mediterranean scrub, fresh, juicy and enjoyable. The Pelassa family has been a key figure in Roero winemaking for years. Their vineyards are located in the northernmost part of Montà d’Alba—an especially cool zone—and in Verduno for Barolo production. They focus on traditional grapes such as Arneis, Barbera and Nebbiolo, with a classic winemaking style that expresses both varietal and territorial identity.
Roero Arneis V. San Pietro 2022 – Morra Stefanino
Roero Arneis Vigna San Pietro ’22 is excellent, with aromas of white fruit and green citrus, and a fresh, juicy, consistent palate. The Morra family’s estate turns 100 this year, having been founded in 1925. The family’s vineyards are mainly located around the winery in Castellinaldo, but also in other Roero towns like Canale, Castagnito, Priocca and Vezza d’Alba. They grow Arneis, Barbera and Nebbiolo—grapes that best express this territory—producing classic wines with a focus on typicity and fresh fruit expression.
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