In Decanter magazine’s April 2025 issue, David Way writes about ‘Piedmont’s shifting focus’, which delves into the increase in plantings of white grape varieties in the Italian region and the reasons behind this change.
He notes: ‘The quality of Piedmont’s white wines made with the likes of Cortese, Arneis, Timorasso, Erbaluce and Nascetta is evident in the glass, supported by planting statistics that are the ultimate proof that producers see an important future for white wines in the region.’
The big picture
‘In the period 2008-2024, according to the Anagrafe Agricola del Piemonte regional database, the total vineyard area in Piedmont remained relatively stable at around 44,500 hectares (ha),’ writes Way in the article.
‘However, the area of red varieties fell by 11%, while that for white varieties rose by a remarkable 25%. As a result, white varieties increased from 31% to 40% of the total.’
Way identifies Arneis as the variety making the biggest gains: ‘Arneis is the biggest winner in terms of growth in planted areas, gaining 675ha since 2008 to 1,452ha.’ But the big picture is more than just this one variety.
Read the full article in April issue of Decanter, out on Wednesday 2 April.
Masterclass at Vinitaly
Separately, Way said that he will also be personally discussing the topic next week in a masterclass during the Vinitaly 2025 expo in Verona.
Anyone planning to attend Vinitaly (6-9 April 2025) can sign up for the masterclass by following the link below. All attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Decanter‘s April 2025 issue.
Masterclass details: Tuesday, 8 April 2025, from 13:30 to 14:30 (CEST).
Discover more and register to attend
About David Way
David is author of The Wines of Piemonte (£35 Académie du Vin Library, 2023) and senior researcher for WSET Level 4 Diploma textbooks, as well as a contributor for Decanter. He also runs his own website, winefriend.org.
