Vermouth Day

Today is World Vermouth Day. Vermouth belongs to the category of aromatized wines. Along other members of these categories, Vermouth contains a number of herbs and botanicals which contribute to intriguing flavors. Under the EU rules, the main flavoring for all vermouth must be artemisia, any number of herbs such as wormwood can be used.

Vermouth is prone to oxidation, leaving bottles out and unrefrigerated for long periods can contribute to dull and flat flavors in vermouth. It is always recommended to keep it away from light and refrigerated, a reason that vermouth has received a bad reputation among Americans as a drink.

There are several unique styles of European Vermouth.

French Vermouth

Chambéry

Chambéry, in the French Alps has one of the longest histories of vermouth production. The most famous of these wines is that of the House of Dolin. These vermouths have fresh and floral aromas with red vermouths categorized by a dryer nature.

Noilly Prat

Marseilles-style vermouth is noted for the oxidative nature that comes about through oak barrel aging. Joseph Noilly embraced this process when he first started working with aromatized wines in 1813. While Louis Noilly was of Lyonnais extraction, his son-in-law and partner Claudius Prat opened the company's main production facility in Marseilles. These wines are characterized by bold flavorings from the oak influence.

Italian Vermouth

Torino Vermouth

Many of the most well known vermouth come from this style and there is actually a PGI designation for Vermouth di Torino. There are several Turin-Style vermouths Carpano the producer of Antica Formula being one of the prime examples. This is the heartland of Vermouth with the famous Martini & Rossi also based in the region.

Trieste Vermouth

Trieste is an Italian city with a long history of producing vermouth in the “Turin Style.” 

Spanish Vermouth (Vermut)

Spain has an abundant history of vermouth production . Vermouth is still a very popular drink to be consumed solo in the bars of southern Spain. Catalonia in particular is known for producing many vermouths. Sherry producers have also become quite interested in producing vermouth from their fortified wines.