INTRO AND SHORT DEFINITION
Vermouth is not a spirit. Made from fortified wine, it is then flavoured by adding aromatic plants. On the aromatic level, a flavour brought by wormwood, which is in fact absinthe, petite and grand wormwood, must dominate. Its sugar content can vary, as well as its colour, which can be enhanced by the addition of caramel. Generally, vermouth has a titre between 14.5 and 22%.
HISTORY
The word vermouth is derived from the German word for wormwood, "wermut." Wormwood has long been the chief flavouring ingredient for vermouth, though it's better known as being the main ingredient of absinthe. Hippocrate already advised to mix artemisia absinthium with oregano in a low abc wine to help smoothen coughing. Like bitters and liqueurs, vermouth has its origin into medicinal purpose but became mostly recreational in the 19th century, when brands appeared.
Vermouth is historically produced in Italy, in the region of Turin, in Piedmont. In France, there are several production regions, such as Chambéry, and the whole region from Marseille to Béziers was the traditional vermouth production region.
The cities of Chambéry and Turin fought for a long time over the paternity of vermouth, following the division of the Duchy of Savoy between France and Italy in the 19th century. However, the appellation "vermouth" was born in Turin, invented in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano from a German aperitif recipe composed of wine and Wermut.
Vermouth is historically produced in Italy, in the region of Turin, in Piedmont. In France, there are several production regions, such as Chambéry, and the whole region from Marseille to Béziers was the traditional vermouth production region.
The cities of Chambéry and Turin fought for a long time over the paternity of vermouth, following the division of the Duchy of Savoy between France and Italy in the 19th century. However, the appellation "vermouth" was born in Turin, invented in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano from a German aperitif recipe composed of wine and Wermut.
The development of Vermouth
Several Italian families with an established reputation began to distribute their own vermouth, including the Cinzano family. Once her company had settled in Turin, she quickly developed a network of sales agents to sell her vermouths as far away as France, where this aperitif was emulated. In 1813, for example, the French absinthe and liqueur producer Joseph Noilly introduced his recipe for dried vermouth, made from white wines from the Languedoc. Taking over in 1829, his son Louis began to export his absinthe, liqueurs and vermouth production beyond France. In 1843, his brother-in-law became his partner and the company was renamed Noilly-Prat. In 1844, the first order was shipped to the United States (New Orleans and New York). In parallel, Joseph Chavasse developed his own vermouth in Chambéry in 1821. Made from local aromatic plants, this vermouth named Dolin was the first to obtain the AOC a century later (1932). The Dolin brand was also at the origin of the marketing of the first white vermouth.
Several Italian families with an established reputation began to distribute their own vermouth, including the Cinzano family. Once her company had settled in Turin, she quickly developed a network of sales agents to sell her vermouths as far away as France, where this aperitif was emulated. In 1813, for example, the French absinthe and liqueur producer Joseph Noilly introduced his recipe for dried vermouth, made from white wines from the Languedoc. Taking over in 1829, his son Louis began to export his absinthe, liqueurs and vermouth production beyond France. In 1843, his brother-in-law became his partner and the company was renamed Noilly-Prat. In 1844, the first order was shipped to the United States (New Orleans and New York). In parallel, Joseph Chavasse developed his own vermouth in Chambéry in 1821. Made from local aromatic plants, this vermouth named Dolin was the first to obtain the AOC a century later (1932). The Dolin brand was also at the origin of the marketing of the first white vermouth.
APPELATION
No regulations. But there are some protected appelation such as Vermouth di Torino, and Vermouth de Chambery.
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geography
Everywhere! Vermouth can be done everywhere. However the first vermouth as we know them have been developed in a small territory between the Alps and the Mediterranean. Look at the map below.
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how ARE VERMOUTH made?
base material
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WINEThe wine is often white wine, rather neutral, low abv. and rather acidic. The quality of the vermouth depends on the selection of the wine. |
NEUTRAL ALCOHOLIt can be fortified alcohol, neutral or like mistelle = fresh grape juice mixed with alcoho. |
SUGAR OR CARAMEL (non compulsary)Caramel is used to give the colour red. |
BOTANICALSThere are nearly a hundred herbs for vermouth, a recipe that can include up to 30. The most common are: coriander, bitter orange, angelica, cloves, cinnamon, absinthe, gentian, elderflower, cardamom, anise, vanilla, cinnamon bark, iris, marjoram, chamomile and sage. |
EXTRACTION
The choice and proportion of herbs play a major role in the final character of vermouth. The methods of extracting the flavours (by maceration, infusion or distillation) are the same (look at the Liqueur section to understand the process in details). The flavours are then mixed with the wine. After sugar, fortified alcohol and sometimes caramel, are added.
The sugar content of the resulting blend can be adjusted by adding cane sugar (white vermouth) and caramel (red vermouth). The whole is then carefully brewed, for a better integration of the different elements composing the vermouth.
The sugar content of the resulting blend can be adjusted by adding cane sugar (white vermouth) and caramel (red vermouth). The whole is then carefully brewed, for a better integration of the different elements composing the vermouth.
AGEING, FLAVORING, DILLUTING, BOTTLING
Once the many ingredients are blended, the resulting liquid is placed in oak barrels: the vermouth is left to rest for 5 to 6 months in barrels with the plug left open, in order to promote interaction with oxygen
THE STYLES
The main categories of vermouth
Some European vermouths have a registered designation of origin. Thus, Chambéry vermouth can only be produced in Savoy and Turin vermouth only in Piedmont.
The two main categories of vermouth are classified quite radically:
- the "sweet" is attributed to Italian vermouths
- "dry" refers to French vermouth.
Beyond geographical considerations, the classification of vermouths is also based on their sugar content:
- Extra Dry / Dry / Secco
- White or straw vermouth, measuring from 18 to 20%, with a sugar content not exceeding 40 g/litre.
- White / Bianco
- Gold-coloured vermouth, measuring about 16%, with a sugar content ranging from 100 to 150 g/litre.
- Sweet / Rosso
- Amber-coloured vermouth (by adding caramel), ranging from 15 to 17%, with a sugar content of 150 g/litre or more.
Note the current trend*
So far, we’ve been talking about traditional vermouth: European products with Alpine roots (and their imitators). Various new contemporary non-traditional styles also can be found in some markets.
What some call “Western Dry”—a de-facto style begun in California in the late 1990s—is already fairly well established. These are small production aperitif wines labeled as vermouth but which, in most cases, are otherwise unrecognizable as such. These products tend to be “wine-forward” and feature drastically divergent botanical components.
The resurgent market is also producing other novel, non-traditional ideas. Some represent contemporary innovation from traditional vermouth producers. Others, such as the new vermouths out of Jerez based on sherry, are crossover forays comparable to the “Western Dry” phenomenon. Most of these are just beginning to test the market in the 2010s.*
QUINQUINA*
One group of these wines is known as quinquina, because historically these wines feature (or at least include) Peruvian chinchona bark (“quina” in the native Quechua tongue, “china” [KEE-nah] in italian, and possibly Anglicized as china [chai-nuh]) amongst their botanicals. Chinchona bark is the primary source of quinine (the pharmaceutical and taste component of Tonic water). |
AMERICANO*
Americano refers to the word amer (bitter). Where quinquina’s defining flavor is quinine, Americano’s is both gentian and wormwood. Historian François Monti hypothesizes that Americano—which seems to have emerged in the 1890s—may be a commercial elaboration on “vermouth con bitter” (vermouth with added gentian), a Turinese cafe tradition documented by Arnaldo Strucchi. |
AGAIN, WE'RE NOT INTO A SPIRIT CATEGORY, THIS IS WHY ALL THE USUAL STEPS YOU FIND FOR OTHER SPIRITS (CONVERSATION, FERMENTATION, DISTILLATION, MATURING, ETC) ARE NOT VALID HERE.
RESOURCES/SOURCES
*the last paragraph about current trend comes from the best website about Vermouth (same for the paragraph about Americano and Quinquina)
http://vermouth101.com/
Been very much helped bythe two French speaking Alcools by Andre Hominé and Bières, Vins et Spiritueux à travers le monde by Stuart Walton and Brian Glover (the original book is in English though)
And of course checking wikipedia from time to time is very helpful.
*the last paragraph about current trend comes from the best website about Vermouth (same for the paragraph about Americano and Quinquina)
http://vermouth101.com/
Been very much helped bythe two French speaking Alcools by Andre Hominé and Bières, Vins et Spiritueux à travers le monde by Stuart Walton and Brian Glover (the original book is in English though)
And of course checking wikipedia from time to time is very helpful.
Now, you may be interested to find out about Liqueurs !