Arvine
Description
The pride of Valais grape varieties, Arvine produces captivating, complex wines of international stature, both dry and sweet.
General and History
Arvine is native to Valais, where it was first recorded in a vineyard in Molignon near Sion in 1602. Since the late 19th century, Arvine has often been called Petite Arvine to distinguish it from Grosse Arvine.
As with many other Valais grape varieties, it has often been said that Arvine was introduced by the Romans, and that its name comes from Helvola, a grape variety mentioned by Cato the Elder. The author categorically refutes this claim for two reasons: 1) it is impossible to establish a botanical identity between the vague descriptions of Latin authors and modern grape varieties, and 2) the Helvola variety had black berries. DNA testing has not been able to identify its parentage; therefore, Arvine is an orphan variety. However, DNA testing has shown that Arvine is very likely the grandmother (or aunt, or half-sister) of Grosse Arvine, which explains the frequent confusion between these two grape varieties. A distant relationship has also been found with grape varieties from the Aosta Valley, Savoy, and northeastern France.
Distribution in the past and today
177.7 hectares, 99.7% of which are located in Valais.
Arvine has rarely been planted outside of Valais. In Switzerland, a few plots have been cultivated in Neuchâtel since the 1970s, in Geneva since the 1990s, and more recently in the cantons of Vaud, Uri, and Ticino. In Italy, Canon Josef Vaudan, then director of the Regional Agricultural Institute of Aosta, introduced Arvine from Valais to the Aosta Valley in 1970, where this grape variety has enjoyed considerable success for several decades (approximately 12 hectares in 2016). In 1992, Angelo Gaja, Italy's most renowned producer, planted 0.36 hectares in Serralunga, Piedmont. The result was a disaster, in his own words, mainly due to coulure (poor fruit set) and brittle shoots. In France, a few plots can be found in Languedoc-Roussillon, as well as in the Rhône Valley where the charismatic winemaker Michel Chapoutier planted half a hectare experimentally in Tain-l’Ermitage, a trial that has since been abandoned. In 2011, the Permanent Technical Committee for the Selection of Cultivated Plants in France registered Arvine in the Official Catalogue of Vine Varieties for France.
Suitability
Arvine is the most emblematic white grape variety of Valais where it produces complex, elegant wines with aromas of citrus and rhubarb, with a voluptuous structure and a characteristic salinity on the finish.
Miscellaneous
The name Arvine is thought to derive from the dialect word arvena, itself likely originating from the Latin word advena, meaning "newly arrived," a name that could have been given to this grape variety upon its early introduction to Valais, or shortly after its origins there. This etymology reinforces its status as an indigenous grape variety.
·Vouillamoz, J. (2017). Cépages suisses, histoires et origines. Ed. Favre
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