Petite Arvine

Petite Arvine
Grape (Vitis)

White wine Petite Arvine from the Christophe Laurent winery.
Color of berry skin Blanc (White)
Species Vitis vinifera
Origin Switzerland
Notable regions Valais
Hazards Contains sulfites

Petite Arvine is a white wine grape[1] planted in the Valais region of Switzerland. Total Swiss plantations of the variety in 2009 stood at 154 hectares (380 acres).[2]

Ampelographers revealed it to have originated in the Valais region in Switzerland and grown since 1602.[3]

Designation: AOC Valais

Petite Arvine has a reputation as a high-class grape variety, and is seen as the best white wine grape of the Valais. Its wines are rich in extract and are found as dry, medium-dry and sweet wines.[4] This textured wine contains a generous amount of extract from its thick-skinned berries.


The ambassador of wines from the Valais.[5]

Here is what you can expect from Petitie Arvine.

Taste: Fragrant and fruity.

Fruit: Notes of grapefruit and lime.

Acidity: Low acidity.

Tannin: Little to no bitterness.


"The vintners regard it so highly that they've dedicated an entire village to it." Fully, Switzerland – Official Swiss tourism website.[6]

Overall, wines produced from this varietal are made of very high quality.

Derived from Latin the name indicates the vine comes from the Savoyard Arve Valley in the Valais.[7]

Food pairing

Petite Arvine can typically be enjoyed with cheese fondue and other typical Swiss foods. Seafoods such as lobster, oyster and sushi make for a good pairing as well.

References

  1. ↑ Arvine Petite, Vitis International Variety Catalogue, accessed on June 19, 2010
  2. ↑ Office fédéral de l’agriculture OFAG: Das Weinjahr 2009 / L'année d'viticole 2009
  3. ↑ "Valais Wines :: Petite Arvine".
  4. ↑ Jancis Robinson, ed. (2006). "Petite Arvine". Oxford Companion to Wine (Third Edition ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 514. ISBN 0-19-860990-6.
  5. ↑ "L'histoire de la Petite Arvine". http://www.museevalaisanduvin.ch''. Musée Valaisan. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/petite-arvine.html
  7. ↑ MySwitzerland – Official Swiss Tourism