Petite Arvine wine | Aosta, Courmayeur, Cervinia, Chamonix

Those who champion Italian origin for the grape point to the fact that Petite Arvine’s name most likely derives from a Latin word indicating the Arve Valley of Savoy, a region that used to be Italian before it was sold to France; according to this view, the grape was imported from there into Valais by way of the Valle d’Aosta.

From another point of view the Petite Arvine native of the town of Chamoson in the Swiss Valais, it was introduced to Valle d’Aosta in the 1970s by the Institut Agricole of Valle d’Aosta.

The Petite Arvine name was necessary for many years to differentiate it from another grape known as Grosse Arvine (or sometimes Arvine Grande) which has larger berries and which makes wine of a much lower quality .

Today, Grosse Arvine is practically extinct (it does not exist in cultivation but only in grape collections) so the distinction isn’t as important.

Petite Arvine is probably a distant relative of Prié Blanc, Premetta and perhaps Chasselas.

 Nose — very aromatic with ripe apple, butterscotch, pineapple tropical fruit, lees and a biscuity, pastry-like kind of thing going on.
 Palate — the wine is on the lighter side of medium with high acidity.
 Paring — seafood, shellfish, Fontina cheese.

You can taste Petite Arvine wine during our wine & food tasting tours in Aosta Valley