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Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino, Sweet Italian Vermouth, 75cl, 16% ABV

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And can you drink sweet vermouth by itself? Of course you can! It's commonly enjoyed solo either before or after a meal, on ice as an aperitif or neat as a digestif. Vermouth is a fortified wine, which is a wine that's been "fortified" with a distilled spirit (usually brandy, in the case of vermouth) to raise the alcohol content. Vermouth in particular is also infused with herbs and spices to add a wide variety of flavors. The name comes from vermut, German for wormwood, an herb that's traditionally (but not always) part of the recipe. Sweet vermouth is darker in color and, generally, sweeter than dry vermouth, but each brand uses a different base wine and set of botanicals to create its own signature flavor. Sometimes called Italian vermouth or red vermouth, sweet vermouth doesn't have to come from Italy, and it's actually made from white wine in most cases—the color comes from the botanicals as well as barrel-aging. For some drinkers, sweet vermouth is an enigma, a seldom-touched bottle gathering dust on the bottom shelf of the neighborhood liquor store. The Piemonte region in northwestern Italy, centered around the city of Turin, is the historic center of sweet vermouth production. Nestled between France and Switzerland at the foot of the Alps, it has excellent climate for wine grapes as well as easy access to the wild mountain herbs that give vermouth its unique flavor. Local producer Cocchi is dedicated to making wines and aperitifs in the old-fashioned way, and its Vermouth di Torino revived an authentic 19th-century vermouth style that had all but disappeared. Based on fragrant moscato wine, this vermouth's depth is evident from the second it touches the lips. The textured herbal bitterness gently pulses against a rich sweetness hued with cocoa, cherry, vanilla, and candied fruit. It's dynamite before a meal with a bit of ice and lemon zest, or afterward neat, as a dessert wine.

Giulio Cocchi was a young and creative pastry chef from Florence, where he worked in a popular bar located in Piazza del Duomo. In the late nineteenth century he moved to Asti, a small but lively town in northwest Italy, not far from Torino, and established himself as a distiller and winemaker. His Barolo Chinato, Aperitivo Americano and vermouths became well known during the Belle Epoque and the Italian Futurist period. By 1913 there were twelve Cocchi tasting Bars in Piemonte. Today the winery maintains its artisan character and follows Giulio’s original recipes to craft the distinctive wines that have made Cocchi a cult name worldwide. Furthermore, other producers with no connection to Piedmont have deceptively labelled their wares Vermouth di Torino. While this has been a geographical denomination since 1991, no regulatory body nor laws defining its production parameters existed to protect Vermouth di Torino. While the alcohol can range from 16% to 22%, a superiore category requires 17% or higher. Furthermore, a minimum of 50% of the base wine and three of the herbs must come from Piedmont for superiore. ‘Generic vermouth will still exist,’ explains Bava, ‘but it will be a quality pyramid with Vermouth di Torino as a premium category.’ The country of origin can give you some clues, but you really have to taste a sweet vermouth to know whether it's for you. Remember that "sweet" is a relative term: The wine has some sweetness, but it also has sour acidity, herbal bitterness, and tannic body. One sweet vermouth might have vanilla and caramel on the palate, while another could feature fruitier strawberry and plum. Cocchi has produced wine-based aperitifs and traditional Piemontese sparkling wines since 1891. Since 1978, the company has been owned and operated by the Bava Family, themselves renowned producers of sparkling wine in Monferrato and Langhe.

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The outcome was Law 1826, established on 22 March 2017. It defines Vermouth di Torino as ‘an aromatised wine obtained in Piedmont using Italian wine only, with the addition of alcohol, flavoured mainly with Artemisia from Piedmont together with other herbs and spices.’ In the last 30 years, Cocchi has revived the forgotten wine categories Barolo Chinato and Vermouth di Torino. It was also a leader in establishing the appellation Alta Langa DOCG for traditional Piemontese spumante. Full details The Vermouth di Torino Institute was formed for these very reasons. An alliance of 15 brands – Bèrto, Bordiga, Carlo Alberto, Carpano, Chazalettes, Cinzano, Del Professore, Drapò, Gancia, Giulio Cocchi, La Canellese, Martini & Rossi, Sperone, Torino Distillati and Tosti – came together to draft the regulations. ‘Big producers and small, we worked together with the same goal of saving an appellation that belongs to Italy,’ says Bava. Nicholas McClelland has written about spirits for Men’s Journal, Fatherly, and Inside Hook. His bar is deep with rare single malts, hard-to-find bourbons, and ryes, but he doesn't believe there's anything too precious to share with friends.

An aromatised fortified wine, vermouth has its roots in ancient civilisations who commonly infused botanicals in their wines. Wormwood, a powerfully scented and intensely bitter plant of the Artemisia genus, became particularly popular as a cure for stomach ailments. ‘Wormwood gave its name to vermouth through its German translation, Wermut,’ explains Bava.

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