Vermouth glossary

40 terms from the vermouth universe, A to Z. Each entry links to articles, guides and catalogue profiles.

Botanicals

A

• Ageing Production Vermouth ageing is its refining over a controlled period in wood, tank, tinaja or another vessel before bottling.
• Amaro Style Amaro is an Italian liqueur of herbs, roots and spices, usually bittersweet and digestive. It is not vermouth because wine is not an obligatory base.
• Americano Style Americano is an aromatised wine with a bitter profile, associated with gentian and other botanicals. It also names the cocktail of red vermouth, bitter and soda.
• Aperitif Culture An aperitif is the drink or small bite that opens the appetite before a meal. Vermouth is one of its most deeply rooted expressions in Spain and Italy.
• Artisan vermouth Production Artisan vermouth is usually made in small batches, with a house recipe and greater direct involvement from the producer. The term alone is not equivalent to a legal certification.

B

• Barrel Production A barrel is a wooden vessel used to age or refine vermouth. It can bring slow oxygenation and notes of vanilla, toast, dried fruit and spice.
• Base wine Production Base wine is the wine on which vermouth is built before botanicals, sugar and, where appropriate, grape spirit are added.
• Bianco / white Style Bianco or white vermouth is a pale, aromatic style that is generally sweet or medium-sweet. It often highlights floral, citrus, vanilla and soft spice notes.
• Bitter Style A bitter is a bitter drink made with botanical extracts, alcohol and sugar, with or without a wine base. It is used as an aperitif or cocktail ingredient.
• Blending / assemblage Production Blending is the stage where base wine, botanical extracts, alcohol, sugar and any ageing components are combined until the final balance of the recipe is reached.
• Botanical Botanicals In vermouth, a botanical is any plant, root, bark, flower, seed or fruit used to contribute aroma, flavour or bitterness.

C

• Cascara sagrada Botanicals Cascara sagrada is the dried bark of Rhamnus purshiana, intensely bitter in taste. Some historic formulas have used it as a botanical.
• Chinato Style Chinato designates an Italian aromatised wine whose recipe incorporates cinchona, usually over wines with a marked regional identity.
• Cinchona Botanicals Cinchona is the bark of trees of the genus Cinchona, rich in quinine and dry in bitterness. It is used to aromatise quinados, quinquinas and chinatos.

D

• Draught vermouth Service Draught vermouth is served from a barrel, tank or system connected to the venue’s tap. It describes the service format, not a quality category.
• Dry Style Dry vermouth contains less sugar and shows a lighter, more herbal and cutting profile than sweet styles.

F

• Fortification (encabezado) Production Encabezado is the addition of grape spirit to a wine to raise its strength and stability. It is a common technique in fortified and aromatised wines.
• Fortified Production A fortified wine is one to which grape spirit is added to raise its strength. Vermouth usually belongs to the broader category of fortified aromatised wines.

G

• Gentian Botanicals Gentian is a root of clean, earthy and very persistent bitterness, common in aperitifs, bitters and some vermouths.

I

• Infusion Production Infusion extracts aromas from botanicals with a hot or warm liquid over a short time. In vermouth it is used for volatile notes that a long maceration might lose or harden.

M

• Maceration Production Maceration is the extraction of aromas, flavours and colour from botanicals by keeping them in contact with wine, alcohol or a blend.
• Medium-sweet Style Medium-sweet describes a vermouth with intermediate sweetness, enough to round acidity and bitterness without tasting like a liqueur.
• Mistela Production Mistela is grape must whose fermentation is prevented or stopped by adding alcohol. It retains abundant natural sugar and fruity flavour.

N

• Negroni Service The Negroni is an Italian cocktail of gin, sweet red vermouth and bitter in equal parts. Its profile is aromatic, citrusy, sweet and bitter.

O

• Oxygenation / oxidation Production Oxygenation is controlled contact with oxygen; oxidation is the set of chemical changes it can cause. In vermouth it can be sought or harmful.

P

• PGI Regulation A PGI is a Protected Geographical Indication that links a product to a territory and a recognised product specification.

Q

• Quinado Style A quinado is a wine aromatised with cinchona, traditionally balanced with sugar and other botanicals. Its main trait is the bitterness of quinine.
• Quinquina Style Quinquina is the French name for a wine aperitif aromatised with cinchona bark and other ingredients.

R

• Reserva Style In vermouth, reserva usually indicates longer ageing or a special selection. There is no single criterion applicable to every brand and country.
• Rosso / red Style Rosso or red vermouth is a sweet or medium-sweet, spiced and bitter style whose colour usually comes from caramel rather than red grapes.

S

• Soda siphon Service The siphon dispenses carbonated water under pressure and is used to lighten vermouth without losing all its aromatic intensity.
• Solera Production Solera is a dynamic ageing system that blends fractions of different ages through periodic withdrawals and replenishments.
• Spritz Service The spritz is a family of aperitifs with sparkling wine, a bitter or aromatised component and soda, served over ice.
• Sulphites Regulation Sulphites are compounds used to protect wine and vermouth against oxidation and microbial spoilage. They also appear naturally during fermentation.

T

• Tinaja (clay vessel) Production A tinaja is a clay or earthenware vessel used to ferment, age or refine drinks. In vermouth it can favour an evolution different from wood.

V

• Vermouth de Chambéry Culture Vermouth de Chambéry is a Savoyard tradition of fine alpine vermouths, celebrated for its white and dry styles.
• Vermouth di Torino Regulation Vermouth di Torino is a protected Italian geographical indication for vermouth made in Piedmont according to specific requirements.
• Vermouth of Reus Culture Vermouth of Reus represents the historic production tradition of this Catalan city, one of Spain’s great centres of the sector.
• Vermuteo Culture Vermuteo is the custom of gathering to drink vermouth and something to nibble before a meal, especially at midday.

W

• Wormwood (artemisia) Botanicals Wormwood is the essential bitter plant of vermouth and the one that historically gives it its name. It contributes a dry, herbal and lingering bitterness.