This is where it all began, the real meat of this entire project. With Antonio Benedetto Carpano's first vermouth, the Italians laid their claim to one of the finest forms of aromatized wine.
When a cocktail recipe calls for sweet vermouth, we're likely reaching for something Italian, and for good reason. Most known for sweet red vermouth, Italy produces some of the best vermouths on the market. Typically the sweetest of all vermouths, Italian sweet red vermouth is marked by the most apparent bitter and herbaceous notes.
It's worth noting the original sweet vermouths weren't defined by their dark red/brown coloring, but were naturally colored by their botanicals.
Standout bottles that represent the category include the bitter (yet perfectly balanced) Alessio Rosso, Cinzano 1757 Rosso, Contratto Rosso, and Scarpa Rosso. For an extra bitter cola flavor, try Punt e Mes. The herbaceous Martini and Rossi Riserva Speciale Rubino is the finest of the savory, herbal Italian sweet reds.
For something sweeter and more dessert-like, try the much-loved vanilla bomb Carpano Antica Formula, the chocolatey Cocchi di Torino, and Martelletti Classico for its cream sherry notes.
For something lighter, don't turn your nose up at the incredible value of the cola bomb that is Cinzano Rosso. Boissiere Sweet Vermouth also provides a more delicate, Chambery-style alternative to the typical heaviness found in the Italian sweet red category. And please, do yourself a favor and give Mancino Rosso Amaranto a shot; there's nothing else quite like it.
Parini Rosso is the only bottle I would avoid on this entire list.
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!
Alessio Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Tempus Fugit
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Moscato D'Asti, Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: at least 27, including both grande and petite wormwood, and cardamom
Sugar: N/A
Nose: fig, cinnamon, menthol, berry jam, oregano, mint, wormwood, licorice root
Palate: wormwood, licorice, plum, apricot, peach, cherry, lemon oil, clove, nutmeg
Finish: wormwood, blackberry, raspberry, charcoal, nutmeg, sarsaparilla, espresso, dark chocolate
Additional Notes: Nut brown color. Nice oily texture. A fair amount of sugar – sticky but not overly sweet due to an almost amaro-like bitterness.
Antica Torino Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Antica Torino
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Bombino, Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Freisa, Moscato D'Asti
Known Botanicals: 13 total, including gentian, wormwood, rosemary, bay laurel, red thyme, oregano, rhubarb, vanilla bean, ginger, and grapefruit peel
Sugar: 180 g/l
Nose: rhubarb, marzipan, gentian, vanilla, peanut, pine, mint, wormwood, clove, licorice
Palate: vanilla, wormwood, gentian, lemon, rhubarb, cinnamon, white pepper, cinchona, orange
Finish: vanilla, wormwood, gentian, peanut, orange, nutmeg, rhubarb, cinnamon
Additional Notes: Amber color. Nutty, dusty, and root-like.
Berto Ross da Travaj
Origin: Italy
Producer: Carlo Quaglia, distributed by Kermit Lynch
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Arneis, Cortese, Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Barbera d’Asti
Known Botanicals: at least 16: wormwood, bitter orange, gentian, cardamom, vanilla, coriander, mint, mace, hops, thyme, marjoram, lemon, cinnamon, clove, rhubarb, angelica
Sugar: 200 g/l
Nose: marzipan, gentian, anise, wormwood, cinnamon, rhubarb, toasted oat
Palate: cinnamon, vanilla, wormwood, tobacco, orange, lemon, caramel, black cardamom, black cherry
Finish: wormwood, tobacco, lemon, cinnamon, ash, rhubarb, black cherry, thyme
Additional Notes: Light brown/amber. Medium body with a pleasant lingering bitterness. Doesn't sit as heavy on the palate as some other Italian sweet vermouths with comparable amounts of sugar.
Boissiere Sweet Vermouth
Origin: Italy (Formerly France)
Producer: Boissiere, distributed by Palm Bay International
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 7, including wormwood, marjoram, chamomile, clove, coriander, and elderflower
Sugar: N/A
Nose: raisin, cinnamon, orange, lavender, strawberry, rose, chamomile, lemon, gentian, marjoram
Palate: wormwood, blackberry, dark cherry, clove, cinchona, lemon, orange
Finish: blackberry, grapefruit, clove, nutmeg, eucalyptus, wormwood, raisin
Additional Notes: Deep red color. Originally distilled in the Chambery region since 1857 – production moved to Italy in 1971. Quinine heavy-bitterness.
Bordiga Excelsior Riserva Superiore
Origin: Italy
Producer: Bordiga, distributed by Oliver McCrum Wines
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Nebbiolo
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: gentian, marzipan, raspberry, orange, anise, tarragon, raisin, cinnamon
Palate: mint, apple, cinnamon, orange, juniper, fennel, lavender, green cardamom
Finish: juniper, orange, gentian, lemon, fennel, cinnamon, green cardamom, cola, apple
Additional Notes: Deep ruby red. Barrel aged for three years. Medium body. One of those exceptionally rare vermouths made from a red wine base. Bordiga's signature juniper note brightens an already tannic palate.
Bordiga Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Bordiga, distributed by Oliver McCrum Wines
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Moscato, Nebbiolo
Known Botanicals: at least 30, including wormwood, coriander, lime, fennel seed, juniper, cinchona, marjoram, salvia, cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg, gentian root, gentian flowers, tonka beans, anise, mint, sweet orange, grapefruit, and lemon
Sugar: 170 g/l
Nose: gentian, marzipan, raspberry, orange, anise, tarragon, raisin, cinnamon
Palate: mint, apple, cinnamon, orange, juniper, fennel, lavender, green cardamom
Finish: juniper, orange, gentian, lemon, fennel, cinnamon, green cardamom, cola, apple
Additional Notes: Light amber color. Medicinal, herbal, and slightly confectionary with lots of bitter orange. Dilution brings out heavy apple and cinnamon notes.
Carpano Antica Formula
Origin: Italy
Producer: Carpano
ABV: 16.5%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 3: wormwood, saffron, vanilla
Sugar: 194 g/l
Nose: vanilla, raisin, clove, spicy citrus, licorice, root beer, honey, star anise, birch
Palate: wormwood, vanilla, cocoa, bitter orange, coffee, cinnamon, clove, almond
Finish: bitter orange, cocoa, sage, thyme, vanilla
Additional Notes: Light brown/amber. A rich, full-bodied vanilla-heavy offering and one of the few vermouths on the market designated "vermouth alla vaniglia". The original recipe was made using Moscato wine as the base. Still, the language used by Carpano implies an emulation on the original recipe than a strict 1:1 recreation, so I can't confirm this to be the case still. Fantastic on its own, but a bully in cocktails as it tends to overpower and impart its characteristic vanilla profile to everything it touches.
Cinzano Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cinzano, distributed by Campari Group
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: 35 total, including wormwood, marjoram, thyme, musk yarrow, nutmeg, coriander, juniper, orange peel, and clove
Sugar: 140 g/l
Nose: cinnamon, vanilla, menthol, eucalyptus, black cherry, cola, clove, orange, gentian, oregano
Palate: cola, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, plum, raspberry jam, nutmeg, wormwood, currant
Finish: wormwood, black cherry, cola, nutmeg, gentian, lemon oil, orange oil
Additional Notes: Mahogany appearance. A cola bomb with lingering wormwood. Dilution brings out the baking spice and tempers the bitter notes.
Cinzano 1757 Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cinzano, distributed by Campari Group
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: sage, honey, oregano, vanilla, cinnamon, licorice, eucalyptus, clove, thyme, coriander, wormwood, juniper
Palate: wormwood, vanilla, gentian, cinnamon, cola, licorice, black cherry, menthol, dark chocolate, tobacco
Finish: wormwood, vanilla, cinnamon, cola, nutmeg, gentian, menthol, grapefruit peel, over-steeped black tea
Additional Notes: Deep reddish-brown. Wildly different from the standard Cinzano Rosso. Bitter and more herbaceous all the way around, though the cola finish is reminiscent of Cinzano Rosso. Dilution brings the confectionary notes out.
Cocchi Dopo Teatro
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cocchi
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: Moscato D'Asti, Barolo Chinato
Known Botanicals: at least 5, wormwood, rhubarb, chiretta flower, cinchona, quassia
Sugar: 220 g/l
Nose: marzipan, cherry, fig, sandalwood, raisin, strawberry, sage, black pepper, coffee
Palate: cherry, wormwood, gentian, fig, coffee, cacao, raisin, sage, black pepper, stewed berries
Finish: gentian, wormwood, cacao, black cherry, lemon, mint, orange, white pepper, marzipan, cinchona
Additional Notes: Rich amber color. Vermouth di Torino. Velvety mouthfeel and texture. A vermouth amaro, most similar to Punt e Mes in terms of outright bitterness. The addition of Barolo Chinato brings balance a distinct winey-ness to the palate which is often lost in the heavy botanicals and sugar of Italian sweet red vermouth.
Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
Origin: Italy
Producer: Cocchi
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: Moscato D'Asti
Known Botanicals: at least 15: wormwood, cinchona bark, rhubarb, orange peel, gentian, star anise, yarrow, rose petal, juniper, quassia, nutmeg, coriander, sandalwood, musk, myrrh
Sugar: 200 g/l
Nose: vanilla, cinnamon, banana, birch, oregano, strawberry, cocoa, lemon, gentian
Palate: chocolate, fennel, vanilla, wormwood, cinnamon, banana, clove, strawberry, gentian, rootbeer, cream
Finish: vanilla, clove, cinnamon, tobacco, cherry, wormwood, juniper, lemon
Additional Notes: Light auburn color. Vermouth di Torino (duh). One of the best and most versatile vermouths ever produced. The constantly moving palate is rooted in cacao notes.
Contratto Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Contratto
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Cortese
Known Botanicals: 31 total, including wormwood, coriander seeds, bay laurel, yellow sweet clover, cinnamon, angelica root, nutmeg, bitter orange peel, carob tree pods, pimento seeds, rhubarb root, sage, cinchona bark, lemon peel, sweet orange peel, licorice root, and sandalwood
Sugar: 180 g/l
Nose: gentian, black cherry, cola, nutmeg, bark, coriander, oregano, cinnamon
Palate: white pepper, spearmint, carob, gentian, lemon, ruby grapefruit, lingonberry, eucalyptus
Finish: white pepper, gentian, grapefruit, orange, wormwood, blackberry
Additional Notes: Red-brown appearance. Pleasant body. Bitter and herbal. A perfectly balanced, distinctly Italian expression.
Del Professore Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Del Professore
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Muscato
Known Botanicals: 13 total, including wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: marzipan, gentian, lemon, vanilla, thyme, honey, wormwood, peanut
Palate: honey, lemon, cinnamon, vanilla, wormwood, bark, fig, orange, black tea, cherry
Finish: honey, wormwood, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange, black pepper, vanilla, peach, black tea
Additional Notes: Brown/red color. Heavy and sweet – very herbal and medicinal.
Florentino Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Giacome Sperone I.VI.S. Spa
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: cumin, cinnamon, vanilla, licorice, orange, rhubarb, gentian, cherry, almond
Palate: orange, cinchona, wormwood, cinnamon, vanilla, marjoram, cherry, gentian
Finish: clove, cacao, wormwood, vanilla, cinchona, orange, cinnamon
Additional Notes: Light red-brown color. Wonderfully bitter and confectionary. Medium body. Dilution brings more acidity, cutting the baking spices and bolstering the bitterness. Prominent cinchona.
Foro Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Foro
ABV: 16.5%
Wine Base: Moscato, Inzolia
Known Botanicals: at least 11, Roman wormwood, orange peel, saffron, aloe vera, cinnamon, balsam, myrrh, cornflower, mace, rhubarb, sandalwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: bubblegum, strawberry, banana, vanilla, ginger, allspice, mint, clove, cinchona, licorice
Palate: orange, wormwood, cinchona, clove, strawberry, banana, allspice, cinnamon
Finish: cinchona, cacao, lemon, clove, orange, mint, gentian, cedar, thyme
Additional Notes: Garnet color with amber highlights. Vermouth di Torino. Dilution turns it into a bittered Coca Cola. Lots of cinnamon, clove, and vanilla with a strawberry/banana bubblegum note from nose to finish.
Fred Jerbis Vermut
Origin: Italy
Producer: Fred Jerbis
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Verduzzo del Collio
Known Botanicals: 25 total, three different varieties of wormwood, two different varieties of orange, angelica, gentian, cinchona bark
Sugar: N/A
Nose: cinchona, marzipan, green apple, gentian, licorice, bar leaf, orange, raisin, cinnamon, clove, gingerbread, vanilla, mint
Palate: black cherry, gentian, cinchona, angelica, cinnamon, vanilla, pear, green cardamom
Finish: gentian, lemon, raisin, cedar, star anise, pear, black pepper, green cardamom, wormwood, juniper
Additional Notes: Red tinted cola brown, Minimal sediment in the bottle as a result of high quality macerations and minimal processing.
Hotel Starlino Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Torino Distillati
ABV: 17%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Marsala
Known Botanicals: at least 13, 3 different kinds of wormwood (gentle, Roman, artemesia absinthium), cinchona, orange, vanilla, bitter orange, clove, raisin, rhubarb, tolu balsam, ginger, grape skin
Sugar Content: N/A
Nose: cinchona, orange, clove, cinnamon, raisin, fig, wormwood, menthol
Palate: cinnamon, vanilla, raisin, orange, apricot, rhubarb, oregano, black cherry
Finish: vanilla, cinnamon, clove, wormwood, tobacco, licorice, oregano, black cherry
Additional Notes: Huge cinnamon and clove with lots of stewed and oxidized red fruit. Rested in ex-Kentucky Bourbon barrels for 30 days. Leaves behind plenty of mulling spices and woody, stemmy flavors. Lots of cherry cola vibes throughout.
Mancino Rosso Amaranto
Origin: Italy
Producer: Mancino
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc
Known Botanicals: 38 total, including wormwood, chiretta, vanilla, rhubarb root, orange zest, juniper, cinnamon, clove, myrrh, and vanilla
Sugar: 135 g/l
Nose: cinnamon, clove, cedar, lemon, gentian, charcoal, orange, tobacco, juniper
Palate: raspberry, blackberry, cherry, juniper, lemon, cinnamon, cinchona, wormwood, clove, sage, rhubarb
Finish: cinnamon, vanilla, wormwood, clove, sage, orange, cherry
Additional Notes: Red-tinted brown. No caramel used for coloring. I've never tasted a vermouth with so much bright, fresh fruit on the palate. Incredibly fruity and light-bodied. Dry for a sweet vermouth with a drying bitterness.
Martini and Rossi Fiero
Origin: Italy
Producer: Martini & Rossi, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 14.9%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: at least 4, including wormwood, orange, and blood orange
Sugar: 180 g/l
Nose: candied orange, artificial orange, grass, cinnamon, peach, cherry, strawberry, rhubarb
Palate: orange, cinnamon, rhubarb, lemon peel
Finish: gentian, orange peel, grapefruit, cinnamon, rhubarb
Additional Notes: Ruby red. Medium-light body. Cloyingly sweet. A blood orange vermouth as sweet and straight-forward as the fruit itself.
Martini and Rossi Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Martini & Rossi, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: Trebbiano/Ugni Blanc, Catarratto
Known Botanicals: at least 30, including two different varieties of wormwood, dittany, rose, violet, chamomile, Spanish lemon peel, bitter orange peel, raspberry, cascarilla bark, quassia, oris root oil, and gentian root
Sugar: 155 g/l
Nose: tobacco, bay leaf, ginger, prune, pine, cedar, coriander, black pepper, cumin, forest floor
Palate: licorice, cherry, tobacco, cinnamon, wormwood, oregano, bay leaf
Finish: cola, vanilla, wormwood, cinnamon, bay leaf
Additional Notes: Reddish-brown color. Very few bright notes on the palate. Heavy and herbal, woodsy, and savory.
Martini and Rossi Riserva Speciale Rubino
Origin: Italy
Producer: Martini & Rossi, distributed by Bacardi Limited
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: Langhe Nebbiolo
Known Botanicals: at least 5: three varieties of wormwood, holy thistle, red sandalwood
Sugar: 169 g/l
Nose: black cherry, oregano, sage, licorice, black pepper, strawberry, raspberry, gentian
Palate: raspberry, wormwood, bark, lemon, cherry, pomegranate, cassis, blackberry
Finish: bark, wormwood, nutmeg, pomegranate, blood orange, gentian, black pepper
Additional Notes: Ruby red color (hence “Rubino”). Full-bodied and rich. The nose is distinctively Martini & Rossi. Very little baking spice.
Martelletti Classico
Origin: Italy
Producer: Martelletti
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: Moscato
Known Botanicals: at least 20, including wormwood, Romanian absinthe, yellow saffron, turmeric, aloe, myrrh, vanilla, bitter orange, cinnamon, and Chinese rhubarb
Sugar: N/A
Nose: mint, menthol, anise, fennel, cinchona, lemon, fig, cinnamon, rhubarb
Palate: orange, cinnamon, wormwood, raisin, date, gingerbread, charred oak, cola, caraway, honey, chocolate
Finish: vanilla, orange, raisin, fennel, rhubarb
Additional Notes: Golden-amber color. Vermouth di Torino. Notes of cream sherry on the palate.
Montanaro Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Montanaro, distributed by Domaine Select
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: Marsala (21%)
Known Botanicals: at least 20, including wormwood
Sugar: 180 g/l
Nose: plum, gentian, marzipan, cinnamon, cinchona, oregano, black pepper
Palate: black cherry, plum, cinnamon, gentian, vanilla, orange, clove, mint
Finish: apricot, gentian, wormwood, vanilla, cinnamon
Additional Notes: Cola brown color. Vermouth di Torino. Well-balanced between stewed fruit, confectionary notes, and bitterness.
Parini Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Parini
ABV: 15%
Wine Base: N/A
Known Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: N/A
Nose: rose, coriander, moss, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, peach
Palate: cherry, lemon, vanilla, grapefruit, peach, cinnamon, bark, black tea
Finish: vanilla, apricot, cherry, sourdough bread, wormwood, lake water
Additional Notes: Amber color. Muddy, wholly uninteresting palate. Sweet with minimal movement. Off-putting, musty finish.
Punt e Mes
Origin: Italy
Producer: Carpano
ABV: 16%
Wine Base: Muscat
Known Botanicals: at least 40, including wormwood, cinchona bark, and orange peel
Sugar: N/A
Nose: licorice, fennel, cinchona, cherry, cinnamon, clove, orange, gentian, straw, chamomile
Palate: wormwood, lemon, grapefruit, gentian, cola, cinnamon, clove, mint, blackberry, vanilla
Finish: wormwood, gentian, cherry, lemon, cinnamon, lavender, mint, orange blossom, rose, vanilla
Additional Notes: Reddish-brown color. A vermouth with a pronounced bitter note. Backstory and history play a big part in the Punt e Mes lore. Still, this is essentially a product designed to be one part Italian sweet vermouth and a half part Italian Amaro, hence the translation of Punt e Mes to “Point and a half.”
Scarpa Rosso
Origin: Italy
Producer: Scarpa
ABV: 18%
Wine Base: MoscatoKnown Botanicals: wormwood
Sugar: 155 g/l
Nose: mint, oregano, nutmeg, lemon, cinnamon, gentian, licorice, clove, cinchona
Palate: wormwood, orange, cola, vanilla, lemon, nutmeg, ginger, cinchona, dark chocolate
Finish: vanilla, cinnamon, plum, cherry, clove, ginger, grapefruit, wormwood, dark chocolate
Additional Notes: Cola brown appearance. Mixes particularly well in cocktails, especially those with a barrel-aged spirit base.
Notably missing: Carpano Classico Rosso, Contratto Americano Rosso, Del Professore Vermouth alla Vaniglia, Fred Jerbis Vermut, Gancia Rosso, and Spatola Sweet Vermouth. 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 updates and corrections to brian@corpserevived.com.