The Italians lay claim to what we know today as vermouth. The very first commercial vermouth, created by Antonio Benedetto Carpano in 1786, was a sweet vermouth.
Italian vermouth is traditionally characterized as sweet red vermouth, though the original vermouths were probably more golden as they were naturally colored by their botanicals. Today, the country produces dry, sweet white, and sweet red vermouth. Yet when historical documents refer to Italian vermouth, they're typically referring to what we know today as sweet red vermouth.
Most Italian producers tend to consider their sweet vermouths their flagship products. It's easy to dismiss the dry offerings as afterthoughts, but this is an unfair assumption as many houses are putting out some great products.
Standouts in this category include the especially bitter Bordiga Extra Dry and Mancino Seco, the perfectly balanced Cinzano 1757 Extra Dry, Martelletti Dry, and Antica Torino Dry, as well as the raspberry-forward Chambery style Boissiere Extra Dry.
Spatola Extra Dry is the only bottle I would avoid.
If you're new to the world of vermouth, check out my Introduction to Vermouth post to learn some basics, introduce yourself to some of the terminology used, and get a general overview of how these guides are structured (and why). Then join me back here to get into the details!
Antica Torino Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Antica Torino
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Cortese
Known Botanicals: at least 6 including wormwood, muscat yarrow, sage, thistle, centaury, and hyssop
Sugar: 33 g/l
Nose: gentian, mint, cinnamon, licorice, oregano, marzipan
Palate: cinchona, lemon, nutmeg, cinnamon, white peach, marzipan
Finish: cinchona, clove, lemon, dried hay, mint, orange
Additional Notes: Green-tinted straw color. Medium body with bright, almost champagne acidity. Fortified with neutral wheat grain distillate. A vermouth lover's vermouth, this is one heckuva dry vermouth. A bit more oxidized grape than you typically get from Italian dry vermouth. Benefits from a little time to breathe once the bottle is opened.
Berto Extra Secco
Origin: Italy
Producer: Berto, distributed by Kermit Lynch
ABV: 19%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Cortese, Chardonnay
Known Botanicals: at least 8, wormwood, dittany, marjoram, ginger, lemon, cardamom, tarragon, lavender
Sugar: 20 g/l
Nose: oregano, lemon, tarragon, wormwood, orange, gorgonzola, green olive, gentian
Palate: lemon, wormwood, marjoram, fennel, ginger, rosemary, tarragon
Finish: lavender, marjoram, orange, lemon, green cardamom, rosemary, tarragon
Additional Notes: Pale straw yellow appearance. Bitter and herbal with very light spice and a floral finish.
Boissiere Extra Dry
Origin: Italy (France from 1857 to 1971)
Producer: Boissiere, distributed by Palm Bay International
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 8: wormwood, gentian, elderflower, bitter orange, iris, chamomile, gentian, coriander
Sugar: N/A
Nose: pineapple, lychee, rose
Palate: white raspberry, gentian, coriander, orange blossom, cumin
Finish: gentian, raspberry, orange blossom, dandelion
Additional Notes: Crystalline appearance. Bone-dry, bright, and acidic with a very thin body. A Chambery style vermouth originally produced in France from 1857 until 1971 when production moved to Turin, Italy. Because of this, I've opted to include Boissiere in both my French and Italian guides.
Bordiga Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Bordiga, distributed by Oliver McCrum Wines
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Cortese, Moscato
Known Botanicals: at least 30, including wormwood, gentian root, gentian flower, juniper, chamomile, nutmeg, coriander, fennel, vanilla, cardamom, sage, carnation berries, quassia, cinchona, marjoram, lime
Sugar: N/A
Nose: fennel, mango, papaya, ripe melon, prosciutto
Palate: orange, lemon oil, juniper, chamomile, cinnamon
Finish: gentian, chamomile, grapefruit, nutmeg
Additional Notes: Straw yellow appearance. A Vermouth di Torino with many botanicals hand-foraged in the Piedmontese Alps near the distillery. Dilution brings out the juniper and gentian notes.
Carpano Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Carpano
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Moscato, Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: at least 2: wormwood, dittany
Sugar: 30 g/l
Nose: peach, plum, lemon oil, oregano, pepper, dried leaves
Palate: cedar, fennel, cinnamon, anise, oregano
Finish: anise, fennel, hay, barnyard earthiness
Additional Notes: Silvery straw in appearance. A richer, more full-bodied vermouth than your average Italian offering; Carpano vermouths tend to be quite bold, and Carpano Dry is no exception. Heavy on the warming baking spices. Holds up nicely to dilution. The fennel and anise notes tend to punch through when mixed.
Cinzano Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cinzano, distributed by Campari Group
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: 14 total, including wormwood, chamomile, rose petal
Sugar: N/A
Nose: honey, pine, damp vegetation, moss, oregano
Palate: lemon peel, white peach, thyme
Finish: wormwood, green apple, tree bark, chamomile
Additional Notes: Very pale yellow, almost clear. The flavor of this one is a bit thin and is easily lost in dilution. I find it a bit more challenging to mix with as it is so bitter and tart, with savory notes that seem to clash with whatever it’s mixed with. Certainly not bad, but best enjoyed neat or on ice. Solid enough, but a bit boring.
Cinzano 1757 Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cinzano
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: wormwood, green apple, rhubarb, honeysuckle, lemon, clove, millet, orange, thyme, sage, chrysanthemum
Palate: wormwood, green apple, lemon, cinnamon, coriander, tree bark, marjoram, rosemary, hay
Finish: wormwood, cinnamon, clove, orange, green apple, marjoram, rosemary, mineralic, sea salt
Additional Notes: Vermouth di Torino. Very pale green tinted straw yellow appearance. Light bodied, slightly oily texture. Floral, stemmy, a bit fruity, spicy, salinic, and most importantly bitter, it's a wonderfully balanced bottle with the perfect amount of acidity. Leans heavily into green apple, wormwood, marjoram, and clove. This is a heck of an upgrade from Cinzano's more commonly found Extra Dry which I find serviceable and little more. A top-notch dry vermouth and one of the best Italian dry vermouths on the market period. Well worth hunting down.
Florentino Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Giacome Sperone I.VI.S. Spa
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: coriander, cumin, lemon, orange, vanilla, fennel, cinnamon, cinchona
Palate: cinchona, lemon, orange, gentian, coriander, white pepper, tarragon, cinnamon
Finish: lemon, faint wormwood, thyme, white tea, licorice, cinchona, cinnamon
Additional Notes: Faint straw yellow color. Very little sugar, but an oily body to compensate. Herbaceous backbone typical of Italian dry vermouth, but notably brighter and sharper with a nice cinchona bite.
Foro Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Foro
ABV: 17.5%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: at least 19, Roman wormwood, lemon peel, rose hip flower, thyme, aloe vera, gentian, St. John’s Wort, juniper, marjoram, coriander, ginger, clove, chamomile, cinchona bark, cardamom, angelica, vanilla, angostura bark, elderberry
Sugar: N/A
Nose: butterscotch, vanilla, lemon, toffee, wormwood, juniper, thyme
Palate: vanilla, orange, lemon, cinnamon, toffee, oregano, cinchona, guava, green apple
Finish: orange, vanilla, wormwood, cinchona, lemon, cacao, tarragon, green apple
Additional Notes: Pale straw yellow appearance. Vermouth di Torino. Claims to be the first vermouth produced using 100% organically grown grapes. Needs time to open up, allowing the brighter herbaceous notes to poke through lots of creamy baking spice. Bitter, acidic, confectionary, and herbaceous with some underlying caramel apple throughout.
Gancia Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Gancia
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 9, including wormwood, bitter orange, sweet orange, cinnamon, sandalwood, clove, nutmeg, cinchona
Sugar: N/A
Nose: lemon oil, bark, pear, honeysuckle
Palate: sage, oregano, plum, briny, apricot
Finish: wormwood, apricot, lemon oil, olive brine, nutmeg
Additional Notes: Light straw color. Reminds me of Cinzano, but less astringent.
Mancino Secco
Origin: Italy
Producer: Mancino
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Trebbiano
Known Botanicals: 19 total, including wormwood, sage, marjoram, oregano, lemongrass, dog rose, pimento, nutmeg, orris root, cardamom
Sugar: 18 g/l
Nose: sage, marjoram, oregano, lemongrass, chamomile, wormwood, honeysuckle, orange blossom
Palate: grapefruit, wormwood, nutmeg, lemon, cranberry, cinchona, cinnamon, honey, nutmeg
Finish: grapefruit, mint, wormwood, chamomile, cranberry, allspice, lemon
Additional Notes: Pale yellow with a hint of green. Very light body. Juicy and bitter, this vermouth finishes acidic and bone dry. Doesn't linger on the palate. Bitter through and through.
Martelletti Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Casa Martelletti
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Trebbiano
Known Botanicals: at least 20, wormwood, cinnamon, myrrh, gentian, cinchona
Sugar: N/A
Nose: cinnamon, green peppercorn, raisin, sage, lemon, cinchona, orange, oregano, vanilla, banana
Palate: cinchona, clove, grapefruit, wormwood, juniper, sage, almond, orange, pineapple
Finish: wormwood, cinchona, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, juniper, rosemary, coriander, mint
Additional Notes: Vermouth di Torino. Green-tinted straw yellow color. Round, oily mouthfeel. Bitter and stemmy with a drying finish.
Martini & Rossi Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Martini & Rossi, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Catarratto
Known Botanicals: at least 30 total, including two different artemesia roots, orris root, sage, coriander, allspice, chamomile, raspberry, Spanish lemon peel, Tunisian bitter orange peel, dittany, red provins rose flowers, sweet violet flowers, cascarilla bark, quassia bark, gentian root, clove, ceylon cinnamon bark
Sugar: 30 g/l
Nose: raspberry, peach, papaya, pear, lychee, honeysuckle, coriander, thyme, grass
Palate: raspberry, lemon zest, green apple, cantaloupe, peach, gentian, cinnamon
Finish: raspberry, green apple, dill, lemon, oregano, cinnamon, vanilla, peach
Additional Notes: Pale straw with a grassy. A fine workhorse vermouth. I find that it shines on its own and is fickle when mixed, often highlighting its bitter, astringent notes.
Montanaro Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: Montanaro, distributed by Domaine Select Wine & Spirits
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: at least 5% Marsala
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: 25 g/l
Nose: lemon, gentian, cinchona, chamomile, white grape, cinnamon, pear
Palate: green grape, wormwood, lemon, pear, cinnamon, juniper
Finish: wormwood, lemon, gentian, tart green apple
Additional Notes: Light straw color. Vermouth di Torino designation. The low sugar content keeps it from lingering on the palate, and the bitterness further dries it out.
Spatola Extra Dry
Origin: Italy
Producer: N/A
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: N/A
Sugar Content: N/A
Nose: sulfur, hot dog water, cooked beans
Palate: white grape, ripe stone fruit, lemon, orange, prosciutto, oregano
Finish: lemon, barnyard, grapefruit, grape juice
Additional Notes: Straw yellow color. The off-putting nose immediately gave me flashbacks to Tribuno dry vermouth. Fortunately, Spatola is better than Tribuno, though not by much. The nose is unctuous, the palate strangely sweet and fruity, and the finish a muddy cross between the two. Generally unpleasant.
Will accept donations of any missing vermouths.
Vermouth Guides
Check the individual regional Vermouth guides for more detailed information on regional styles and recommended bottles:
Dry Vermouth
Sweet White Vermouth
Sweet Red Vermouth
Quinquina and Americano
Please send all updates and corrections to brian@corpserevived.com.