white grape · regional specialty
Petite Arvine
Valais, Switzerland
Say it
puh·teetar·veen
French uvular r in Arvine; final e silent in both words
On the palate
grapefruitlemonrhubarbwhite peachpassionfruitsalinity
How you spot it blind: grapefruit and rhubarb with a defining saline finish
The story
First written down · 1602, Molignon, Valais, Switzerland
First recorded in 1602 in Valais, where DNA analysis confirms a parent-offspring link to the rare Swiss grape Rèze, though VIVC lists full parentage as unknown.
Where it lives
Valais, Switzerland · Valle d'Aosta, Italy
Shows up as
still whitesweetlate harvestAOC ValaisValle d'Aosta DOC