Among some forgotten bottles I noticed this one of Rosso Antico, a bottle that in the 60s-70s was so well known in Italy.

A name that seems foreign for a product entirely Italian that immediately evokes prestige and luxury.

Rosso Antico is a Vermouth that was born in 1962 from the liqueur experience of the Jean Buton Distillery, that with the iconic bottle, had the nickname of “Prince of aperitifs”. Rosso Antico is a Vermouth with  33 aromatic herbs-16 alcoholic degrees.

What’s vermouth?

Those who choose Vermouth rely on a refined, historical wine that attracts fans of drinking well. A wine for the aware public, sometimes neglected but today has its own re-evaluation

Vermouth is a liqueur wine officially of Piedmontese origins. It was born in Turin in 1786 by Antonio Benedetto Carpano, a distiller and herbalist who mixed Moscato wine with aromatic herbs.

Carpano‘s Bottega (workshop and shop) was located in the center of Turin and having the Royal Palace within walking distance created the opportunity to send a tribute to King Vittorio Amedeo III who appreciated it to the point of introducing it into the habits of the royal family. Vermouth‘s fans were many and well known and this contributed to making this wine a royal and aristocratic product, a sort of status symbol.

The Piedmontese herbalist Carpano referred to a long tradition, up to the time of ancient Rome. In Germany around 1600, a certain wine was prepared leaving herbs and absinthe to infuse, in German called precisely Vermouth. The first Italian to deal with this wine in a text (Tuscan Oenology of 1773) is Villifranchi, so one could think that the homeland of Vermouth is Tuscany.

By now there are many companies producing Vermouth. Its preparation is now recognized and protected as a product of controlled Piedmontese origin, and to be precise as “Vermouth di Torino“.

The wine, strictly of excellent quality, is generally Moscato to which 13-15% sugar is added and aromatic herbs, mostly kept secret by the manufacturers. The main one is mugwort.

The main versions of Vermouth are white, red, rosé, and dry in which the alcohol and sugar content varies.

Vermouth is one of those products of which Italy can be proud. For a certain period of time, it has been rather neglected and only in recent years has regained a place of honor not only in Italy but also in other countries, thanks also to various and new very interesting artisan proposals.

Vermouth is served cold, at 6-8 °, straight or added with water or ice.

A tip is to keep the bottle of Vermouth, once opened, in the refrigerator to avoid oxidation to the color and taste and to consume it within a maximum of thirty days / three months, depending on the alcohol content.

Vermouth is not only used as an aperitif or as an ingredient for the composition of cocktails but is also part of our culinary tradition for the preparation of various dishes, especially for flavoring, marinating and blending meat-based preparations.

In pastry, it is used to flavor sweets, cakes, and baked goods.

Red Vermouth is suitable to be mixed with clear spirits, sweet and aromatic liqueurs, sweet juices and soft drinks.

It is in fact used as an ingredient for many and even historical cocktails.

Between these: Negroni, Americano, and many others

After years of silence, today Vermouth has finally returned to being valued, so much that in recent times the labels on the market have increased considerably.

This extraordinary Italian product can be considered a connection between wine and liqueurs.