Arneis

noun

Ar·​neis ˌär-ˈnāz 

-ˈnās

variants or less commonly arneis

: a dry white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy

Arneis is a rich, gloriously fruity, mouth-filling wine that is soft, even unctuous.

—Robert M. Parker, Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide, 1989

also : the grape from which Arneis wine is made

Arneis, an ancient white grape of Italy's Piedmont, had almost disappeared 25 years ago.

—Gerald Asher, Gourmet, March 2004

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, borrowed from Upper Italian (Piedmontese), of uncertain origin

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!