Ar.Pe.Pe. – Nebbiolo’s Mountain Soul
From the core of Valtellina’s cliff-like landscape in the Italian Alps emerges Nebbiolo master Ar.Pe.Pe. They grow their Nebbiolo on vineyards higher than the clouds—both physically and spiritually. Each bottle carries the harmonious blend of stone, time, wind, and willpower that results in ethereal Nebbiolo wines that will descend deep into your memory. You will never forget about this producer once you try their wines.
Where Nebbiolo Clings to Stone
The location of Valtellina exists more as a courageous gesture rather than a geographical place. Winegrowers in this region have coaxed fruit from rocks for more than 2000 years. The Ancient Ligurians and Etruscans together with the Celts and Romans and Lombards have managed to keep their vineyards on these extremely steep mountain slopes throughout history. The present-day cultivation of more than 820 hectares relies on manual labor while vines grow on narrow stone-supported terraces that amount to only a few meters wide. The dry stone walls that stretch 2,500 kilometers across the landscape represent centuries-old monuments that demonstrate the enduring bond between humans and mountains.
The protected landscape contains small vineyard plots of rocky soil that vine roots dig into while farmers move through narrow paths that run along sheer cliffs. The Nebbiolo grape known as Chiavennasca in the region engages in a dialogue with quartz-rich earth, Alpine wind, and sunlight reflecting off the ancient stone.
The walls provide the necessary support to the surrounding terrain, buttressing the walls that exist in the vineyard. And the people—like the Pelizzatti Perego family—support it all.
The Family Behind the Wine
The winery Ar.Pe.Pe. carries forward through difficult times as a story of enduring continuity. The winery began in 1984 when Arturo Pelizzatti Perego started it before his children Isabella, Emanuele and Guido took charge while maintaining his approach to slow winemaking and deep. connection to place. The winemakers delay market release to let the Nebbiolo reveal its complete truth through years of natural aging.
The winemakers perform hand harvesting while allowing natural fermentation processes to occur before aging their wines in large neutral wooden barrels for multiple years and sometimes multiple decades until the wines reach perfect balance and pure expression.
The Wines: From Freshness to Grandeur
Everyday Nebbiolos
2022 ArPePe Rosso Di Valtellina $47.99 The wine presents itself as bright and Alpine-influenced. It is just effortless to drink this! This is Nebbiolo in its freshest form—rose petal, red cherry, and mountain herb with crisp acidity and joyful verve. A window into Ar.Pe.Pe.’s soul.
2019 ArPePe "Pettirosso" Valtellina Superiore $54.99 The winemakers have named their wine after the robin thanks to its light and agile character and expressive nature. The combination of smooth textures, citrus peel notes, and herbaceous flavors produces a refined wine with refined charm and complex depth.
Single-Cru Superiores – Nebbiolo in Dialogue with Stone
2017 ArPePe "Fiamme Antiche" Inferno Riserva Valtellina Superiore $59.99 94WS The Nebbiolo produced from Inferno's granite soil emits smoky notes alongside wild berries and iron and spice elements. The wine presents itself with a sharp profile while maintaining an elemental purity that creates a direct drinking experience.
2017 ArPePe "Rocca Piro" Grumello Valtellina Superiore $64.99 95WS Dried flowers alongside red fruit and graphite create a graceful and elegant taste profile in this wine. This wine meanders along the palate with a gradual pace while maintaining a tender grip.
2017 ArPePe "Stella Retica" Sassella Valtellina Superiore $64.99 94WE The terroir of the Sassella ridge delivers a wine that presents itself as delicate and refined with its subtle flavors and complex profile. The wine stands out with its delicate tannins and refined aromatics, which indicate its exceptional aging potential among the Superiore range.
The Riservas – Time-Defying Masterpieces
2013 ArPePe "Sant Antonio" Grumello Valtellina Superiore Riserva $109.99 95VN A sacred vineyard produces this rare wine. The wine presents floral scents alongside ethereal qualities, and it develops a long-lasting mineral note which extends throughout several minutes.
2013 ArPePe "Rocce Rosse" Sassella Valtellina Superiore Riserva $119.99 98KO 98WE 95DC Sassella’s red rocks produce this wine, which many consider the flagship among all their offerings. This powerful yet agile wine presents aromas of crushed roses combined with blood orange and crushed granite.
2013 ArPePe "Nuova Regina" Sassella Valtellina Superiore Riserva $119.99 96WE 95WA The wine possesses royal elegance through its regal title, which translates to the “New Queen.” This Sassella offers a transparent profile alongside vertical structure and endless layers to appeal to drinkers who appreciate soft whispers instead of loud declarations.
2016 ArPePe "Buon Consiglio" Grumello Valtellina Superiore Riserva $129.99 Sourced from one of the oldest parcels in Grumello, Buon Consiglio channels the vineyard’s upper-altitude minerality and the patience of long aging. Elegant yet firm, with red currants, alpine spice, crushed rock, and a sense of quiet authority. The 2016 is vibrant and lifted, with fine tannins and serious depth—one of the standout Riservas of the vintage.
Why It Matters
The Valtellina wine region exists as a hidden treasure for connoisseurs. The wines produced in this region keep their small production levels because they lack the fame of Barolo and Barbaresco, although they possess excellent quality. The region’s whole production is three million bottles a year—that’s it. A fraction of Barolo’s production. The rest are stone, sky, and silence.
These wines from Ar.Pe.Pe. showcase Nebbiolo that has been purified of excess elements through the combination of altitude and stone terroir to produce a precise wine with delicate qualities.
- Orazio Campoli, K&L Italian Wine Buyer