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Wine review: 2012 Valfaccenda Roero Arneis

2012 Valfaccenda Roero Arneis
2012 Valfaccenda Roero Arneis
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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This is another refreshing white from Nebbiolo- and Barbera-dominated Piedmont. It comes from young Luca Faccenda, who attended enology high school in Alba and went on to get a degree in viticulture and oenology at Torino University. This is just his third vintage, though his family has grown grapes for more than 250 years.

Check out his photos of the 2013 harvest on his Facebook page (search for Valfaccenda) showing the grapes being picked and the young winemaker pushing down the cap on his Nebbiolo grapes. He and his crew make it look like fun. He writes, “I have not a good relationship with shaver and comb, I stop drinking coffee because I am too nervous by myself and I believe that with some close friends and a glass of good wine you can start thinking about changing the world … even if, at the end, the only certainty is the empty bottle!”

Made from old vines, his Arneis is richer than most, highly aromatic and complex. It has a lovely minerality that makes it particularly food-friendly. Enjoy it with sushi, grilled shrimp, seafood antipasti and Asian food — or with turkey.

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Region: Piedmont, Italy

Price: About $25

Style: Rich and elegant

What it goes with: Grilled shrimp, seafood, Asian food and turkey

Where to find it: John and Pete’s Fine Wines & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 657-3080, https://www.johnandpetes.com; Wally’s Wine & Spirits in West Los Angeles, (310) 475-0606, https://www.wallywine.com; and Wine Exchange in Orange, (800) 76WINEX, https://www.winex.com.

irene.virbila@latimes.com

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