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Vermutpedia

Rojo

Lanzarote

Red · Artisan · Medium-sweet

Primo Vermut Rojo

Primo de Lanzarote

Lanzarote , España

7.4 /10

Vermutpedia Score: 7.4/10

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Overall impression

Primo Vermut Rojo is the dark counterpart to the first vermouth made in the Canary Islands, according to Primo de Lanzarote's official documentation. Created by Davide Musci — an Italian from Piedmont settled in Lanzarote — with backing from Luca Fissolo, Alberto Sanino and the expertise of winemaker Francisco Perdomo, the project was born in 2017 after years of experimentation with native herbs and island wines. The brand defines its identity as a territory-anchored vermouth: Lanzarote wines bring a marked volcanic-mineral flavour, balanced by relatively high acidity from volcanic soil, sub-desert climate and trade-wind influence. White and red share a base of Malvasía Volcánica and Diego, but the red bets on more bitter notes and a ruby colour with tile glints thanks to prickly pear and palm honey infusion. For Vermutpedia, Primo Rojo is the Canarian reference with the most vermouth weight: semisweet, Atlantic and with island botanicals — wormwood, quinine, gentian, Canarian oranges — that raise bitterness without betraying the volcanic grape.

Nose and palate

The official technical sheet describes a 15% vol. red vermouth with ruby colour and tile glints. On the nose, red fruits and balsamic, spiced notes stand out; on the palate, an aromatic entry and well-balanced bitterness. The house breakdown is precise: intense impact from three wormwood varieties and rhubarb, bitterness from quinine and gentian, a citrus note from orange peel from the Canaries and a woody spice of cassia and nutmeg. Against Primo Blanco — where yellow and green fruits, coriander, sage, elderflower and savory lead with Malvasía aromatics to the fore — the red builds a deeper, more bitter profile, with palm honey and prickly pear adding colour and background sweetness. The volcanic acidity of the wine base keeps freshness in a semisweet ensemble that never cloys. The mouthfeel is elegant, with herbal and spiced persistence. For anyone seeking red vermouth with a genuine island stamp — not a generic aromatised red — Primo Rojo offers verifiable Canarian personality on the brand's website.

How to serve it

Primo de Lanzarote recommends the red for appetisers, ibérico charcuterie, pickled fish and seafood, blue and aged cheeses, and classic and modern cocktails. Served straight, it works very cold with ice in a wide glass; an orange slice connects with the declared citrus note on the technical sheet. As an Atlantic aperitif, it pairs with preserves, octopus, blue cheese or ibérico charcuterie, where bitterness cleans fat and semisweet roundness completes the picture. In cocktails, it is an interesting base for Negroni or Americano with Canarian character, or for Manhattan versions seeking more red fruit and less Italian density. At 15% vol. and 75 cl, it suits author's hospitality and quality home consumption. For Vermutpedia, Primo Rojo is drunk with ice and calm: terrace and bar vermouth that invites comparison with the house white and discovery of how maceration transforms the same volcanic wine base into two distinct identities.

Production context

Production follows the Primo de Lanzarote protocol: selection of a quality wine base of Malvasía Volcánica and Diego, blended with herbs and spices that preserve the character of D.O. Lanzarote grapes. The original recipe macerates native plants — wormwood, coriander, thyme, elderflower, Canarian sage, Canarian saffron, prickly pear, oranges from Gran Canaria and Lanzarote — on island wine, with maceration differences versus the white. Ruby colour comes from prickly pear and palm honey; bitterness from three wormwoods, rhubarb, quinine and gentian. Since 2019 the range includes a quinado wine with Listán Negro; in 2023 the project evolved into Primo de Lanzarote S.L. and new facilities. Restaurant and spirits-sector interest consolidated Lanzarote's place on European vermouth maps. For Vermutpedia, Primo Rojo synthesises the reference Canarian red vermouth: 15% vol., 75 cl, artisan, no barrel ageing, partner to Primo Blanco in the island range verifiable at primodelanzarote.com.

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