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Vermouth di Torino

World-renowned for the tradition and historicity of its production, Vermouth di Torino is an aromatized wine born in the 18th century at the foot of the Alps and enjoyed at the court of the Savoy kings. Vermouth di Torino is known worldwide for the tradition and history of production. The fame of Vermouth di Torino PGI is inextricably linked to Piedmont producers and Turin. In the 1800s, Turin was home to the aristocracy of vermouth makers, thanks to whom, in different ways and to different degrees, Vermouth di Torino achieved international standing and became appreciated worldwide. Over the years,techniques and processes have evolved: new ideas went hand in hand with the older practices, and they continue to coexist today, preserving and valorizing Vermouth di Torino's traditional production.

Vermouth di Torino is classified according to the color (White, Amber, Rosé or Red) and the amount of sugar used in its preparation. It can be, therefore, extra secco or extra dry for products containing less than 30 grams of sugar per litre, secco o dry for vermouth with less than 50 grams per litre, and sweet for those with a sugar content of 130 grams or more per litre. The disciplinary that protects the Vermouth of Turin provides also the typology Vermouth Superiore which refers to products with an alcoholic strength of not less than 17% vol., made with at least 50% of Piedmontese wines and flavoured with herbs - other than wormwood - cultivated or harvested in Piedmont.

The new beverage began to be appreciated outside of Turin as well, but full-blown success came only in the mid-nineteenth century, when it was first exported, first to France and Spain and then outside Europe, mainly to Latin America, where there were numerous communities of Italian migrants from Piedmont, and the United States , where it was immediately ushered into the cocktail culture. In the middle of the century there were 42 companies selling distillates and 30 liqueur producers in Turin, who added luster and prestige to the then capital of the Kingdom. The first advertisement for the new vermouth made in Turin, dates back to 1833 and describes the beverage as different from all the others, dubbing it "the genuine balsamic wine known as Vermouth di Torino". From then on, it was generally acknowledged that the Savoy's capital city had developed a different style, sweeter and more aromatic. In the first years of the twentieth century, "white Vermouth"made its debut, with a lighter hue and more floral and citrus notes : a hit with women at cafés, it earned the nickname of "ladies' delight"and marked a genuine market revolution. The twenties saw the rise in popularity of "red Vermouth", with the addition of caramel coloring, a nod to the American market.

Italian regulation regarding vermouth begins with Royal Decree-Law No. 1696 of November 9, 1933, which provides general indications in order to characterize the product (minimum alcohol content, sugar content, percentage by volume of base wine and added substances). The first EU Regulation identifying Geographical Indications for flavored wines is EC Regulation No. 1601 of June 10, 1991, which for the first time recognizes and protects Vermouth di Torino.

A fundamental necessity for making Vermouth di Torino is high quality wine: white or red, it must have good structure and acidity in order to blend with the spices and balance the sugar. After selecting a base alcohol, the extracts of aromatic herbs and spices, flowers, seeds, roots and barkare added, following infusion in a solution of alcohol and water for 15-20 days. They are mixed with the sugar and wine and left to rest in maturation tanks. The beverage is then filtered and bottled.