10/04/2026
Vittorio Bera “Arcese” Vino Bianco 2024
Canelli, Piedmont, Italy
The Knights’ Vineyard 🗡️
In 1785, the Bera family’s ancestors bought part of their land from the Knights of Malta, the centuries-old order of warrior-monks. More than two hundred years later, the family still farms that hillside in Canelli. Beneath the town’s streets run the cattedrali sotterranee, the “underground cathedrals.” These are candlelit w**e tunnels carved deep into the hills, and they’re now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Beras were the first family in Canelli to bottle their own w**e. Their vineyard has never seen chemicals, and it’s certified organic today. Wildflowers, herbs, and legumes grow wild between the rows.
“Arcese” is a mash-up name: Arneis + Cortese. It’s a true field blend, meaning the grapes grow all mixed together in the vineyard and get picked and fermented together, like a potion. Arneis (whose name roughly means “little rascal” in Piedmontese dialect) and Cortese lead, with Favorita, Vermentino, and Sauvignon Blanc joining in. The juice ferments with wild yeasts in concrete with no added sulfur. It’s bottled unfiltered with a touch of sugar left, so it finishes fermenting inside the bottle. That’s where those tiny bubbles come from.
What we tasted: On the nose you get pear, white peach, and a floral lift. It’s loaded with tiny bubbles but isn’t really fizzy, just a little bite. It’s playful and bright, the good witch to the red’s dark forest.
Serve cold. Pour gently, and let it breathe a minute if it’s shy.
Pair with: poke, fish tacos, soft cheeses, herby pasta, or sipped on the lanai at golden hour.