TERROIR PROFILE
Roero
Sandy Nebbiolo & Arneis country
Roero: sand softens Nebbiolo and makes Arneis Piedmont's leading white.
Climate, site & wine
Sand with fossil marine deposits from the Pliocene dominates the soils; they are loose, permeable and rather low in nutrients, in parts mixed with marl. Roero DOCG is at least 95 percent Nebbiolo and is paler, more floral and earlier accessible than Barolo.
Roero Arneis, whose vineyard area is much larger than that of Nebbiolo, is dry, with pear, almond and fresh acidity. The zone gained DOCG status in 2005.
TERROIR PROFILE · Piedmont
Roero Sandy Nebbiolo & Arneis country
Roero: sand softens Nebbiolo and makes Arneis Piedmont's leading white.
SOILS
Sandaromatic, approachable
Loose sand and wind-blown sand warm up quickly and hold little water — they give aromatic, early-drinking wines with soft tannins; phylloxera-resistant.
Marlbalanced, structured
Marl is a mix of limestone and clay — yields structured, balanced wines with acidity backbone.
CLIMATE · Cool continental
Continental climate; sandy soils warm up quickly. Nights stay cool and autumn fog is frequent. Arneis ripens earlier than Nebbiolo.
TOPOGRAPHY · steep
Rugged hill country with steep sandy cliffs and gorges (rocche) north of the Tanaro, which forms the border with the Langhe. Slopes are in places very steep, and deeply cut valleys create a small-scale relief.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Similar terroirs worldwide
Computed from fingerprint similarity
Zwingenberg
Hessische Bergstraße
96% similar
- Freshness (slightly): Roero has more freshness → crisp acidity, long ageing (7 vs. 6).
Alsbach
Hessische Bergstraße
96% similar
- Freshness (slightly): Roero has more freshness → crisp acidity, long ageing (7 vs. 6).
Wineries on this terroir
See all 35 →This terroir's soils in the glossary