"Vermut di Torino" is an aromatic wine produced in Piedmont starting with one or more Italian wine-making products, added alcohol, flavoured mainly with Artemisia together with other herbs, spices and other aromatising substances allowed under current legislation.
Production Area
All over Piedmont
How it is made
"Vermut di Torino" is made using Italian wine-making products and, for the aroma, plants from the various Artemisia species that are cultivated and/or gathered throughout the entire territory of the Piedmont Region.
Amongst the various genii of Artemisia that can be used, the presence of the absinthium and/or pontica species are obligatory.
Alcohol is added to the wine, mainly fragranced with Artemisia, together with other herbs, spices and any other aromatising substances.
The main aromatics may be extracted through the technology available, using as a support, individually or together, water, hydroalcoholic solutions, wine, alcohol.
Only the following may be used for sweetening purposes: factory-use sugar, white sugar, white caster sugar, liquid sugar, invert sugar, invert sugar syrup; grape must, grape must concentrate and rectified grape must concentrate; caramel, without added bases, mineral acids or other chemical additives; honey.
"Vermut di Torino" can only be coloured with caramel.
History
"Vermut di Torino" is known throughout the world for the tradition and historicity of its production which started in Piedmont from the late 18th century.
Traditionally the base wines used for the preparation of "Vermut di Torino" were mainly from Piedmont and, among them, the Moscato di Canelli was particularly popular for its aromatic contribution and for the sweet component of the product. Similarly, they also used white wines from other areas of Piedmont, produced in the Alexandrine area of Gavi and Tortonese (Cortese variety), white wines from Emilia Romagna, and white wine from Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia.
The fame of "Vermouth" is intricately linked to Piedmont and Turin in particular where, at the end of the 1700s, the preparation of this aromatised wine was a true form of art. Turin became the most famous city in the world for the production of "Vermut di Torino" and aromatised wines in general.
Interesting features
"Vermut di Torino", produced to perfection in Turin, the most famous city in the world for the preparation of aromatised wines.
Many of the aromatic herbs, historically used in the production of "Vermut di Torino", are easily found in the Piedmont territory, as is the characterising ingredient: Artemisia absinthium and/or pontica.
However, the absinthe is merely the main player of a large group of aromatic herbs of ancient gathering and cultivation in Piedmont including achillea, camomile, hyssop, savory, marjoram, clary, elderberry, thyme, and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander, nutmeg, vanilla, saffron and many many more, that give "Vermut di Torino" its inimitable aroma and flavour.
Labelling
The use of names of geographical places that refer to councils, hamlets, or areas included in the production area, is forbidden in the design, presentation and labelling.
It is permitted, in the design and presentation of "Vermut di Torino", to use the term "Superior" on the condition that the product has an effective alcohol by volume content of at least 17 % vol., is made up of wine produced in the Piedmont Region equal to at least 50% in volume of the finished product, and is aromatised with the use "not exclusive" of aromatic herbs other than Absinthe "cultivated and/or gathered in the Piedmont region or aromatising substances or aromatic preparations derived from them.
The trade name may be integrated with one of the following wording regarding the sugar content:
- "extra secco" or "extra dry": for products with a sugar content lower than 30 gr per litre;
- "secco" or "dry": for products with a sugar content lower than 50 gr per litre;
- "dolce" or "sweet": for products with a sugar content equal to or more than 130 gr per litre.
Where a list of ingredients is shown, if it is possible, there should be a reference to the wine or wines used as a base, supplying the specifications of the denominations of origin and/or geographical indications, should these represent at least 20% in volume of the finished product.
