Grosjean Petite Arvine: 1997-2016
BY IAN D'AGATA |
Petite Arvine is a white grape that is one of Italy’s biggest success stories of the last 40 years. It was virtually unknown in the country prior to the 1990s, but there are now a bevy of outstanding wines made with this variety For example, Les Crêtes, Château Feuillet and especially the Grosjean family have had noteworthy success with it over the years.
The entrance to the Grosjean winery
The Grape Variety
In Switzerland’s Valais, an Arvine variety appears to have been documented back in 1602 under the name Arvena, believed to mean "upstart” or “new arrival." Petite Arvine is different from Grosse Arvine, which is considered to be a lesser-quality relative. In Switzerland the variety is used to produce both dry and sweet (flétri) wines; by contrast, no sweet wines are made with it in Italy. 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.
