The vermouth encyclopedia

Vermutpedia

Rojo

Toscana

Red · Medium-sweet

Ruffino Antica Ricetta Vermouth Rosso

Ruffino

Toscana , Italia

Re-evaluation pending

How we calculate the Vermutpedia Score →

Overall impression

Vermutpedia is re-evaluating the Italian catalogue; the Vermutpedia Score for this entry remains pending until the new tasting round is complete. Ruffino Antica Ricetta Vermouth Rosso is the vermouth bet from one of Tuscany's most emblematic wineries, reinterpreting Italian vermouth from the viticultural tradition of Chianti and Pontassieve. According to wineclub.ruffino.it, it springs from an original recipe dating to 1737, testimony to monastic herbal wisdom: fruity, intense Toscana IGT white wine, fortified to 17% vol. and subjected to long infusion with more than twenty-five carefully selected ingredients. The process gives the typical dark red colour and aromatic complexity that Ruffino places in its spirits line alongside Gin, Bitter and Amaro Antica Ricetta. Brilliant ebony colour; a more vinous, Tuscan profile than classic Turin vermouths. For Vermutpedia, it represents the Chiantigiano rosso from a historic house: blackberry, cherry, citrus and dog-rose flowers on the nose, with a bitter finish of rhubarb and wild fennel. 75 cl format, recommended serving temperature 4 °C. A bottle connecting Tuscan winemaking with contemporary cocktail culture without renouncing documented monastic herbal heritage from Tenute Ruffino's official sheet.

Nose and palate

The official tasting note describes brilliant ebony colour and a bouquet rich in blackberry, cherry and citrus, alongside floral sensations of dog rose and chamomile. On the palate it is soft and enjoyable, with a slightly bitter, intense finish characterised by red rhubarb and wild fennel — a profile Ruffino documents as soft and enjoyable with persistent herbal close. The Tuscan white-wine base brings red fruit and more marked vinous structure than Piedmont vermouths; sweetness is moderate and bitterness soft but defined, without aggression. Round texture, silky passage and herbal persistence on the retronasal. Compared with Turin vermouths — Pontic artemisia and caramel — Antica Ricetta bets on Tuscan identity: forest fruit, wild flowers and botanics from monastic tradition. Prolonged infusion with more than twenty-five ingredients generates layers evolving between citrus, floral and vegetal bitter. For Vermutpedia, a vinous, balanced rosso ideal for those seeking Italian vermouth with Chianti soul and tasting verifiable at wineclub.ruffino.it. The contrast between initial sweetness and herbal finish distinguishes it on Tuscan aperitif menus.

How to serve it

Ruffino recommends Antica Ricetta as an aperitif with ice and orange slice, or neat at 4 °C with orange zest — a format that enhances bouquet citrus and balances rhubarb bitterness. Also superb for cocktails: Negroni, Americano, Manhattan or creations requiring red vermouth with vinous, herbal Tuscan profile. Serve very cold; low temperature concentrates blackberry, cherry and chamomile without dissolving semisweet sweetness. Pairs with Tuscan charcuterie, pecorino cheeses, olives and Mediterranean appetisers. In cocktails, a modifier with personality against more caramelised Torino rossos: it brings red fruit and wild fennel to classic drinks. Works in spritz with prosecco when a Tuscan fruit layer is wanted. Not anonymous bar vermouth: its 1737 monastic narrative and Ruffino provenance position it as a premium list option. For Vermutpedia, Antica Ricetta is the reference Tuscan rosso for orange aperitif and sophisticated cocktails per Ruffino Wine Club's official sheet.

Production context

Tenute Ruffino S.r.l. makes Vermouth Antica Ricetta in Tuscany from Toscana IGT white wine, fortified with alcohol to 17% vol. and subjected to meticulous infusion with more than twenty-five selected ingredients — a process defining flavour, aroma and characteristic dark red colour. The recipe dates to 1737 and forms part of Ruffino's spirits range alongside Gin, Bitter, Amaro and house grappas. Contains sulphites; 75 cl format; serving temperature 4 °C. Ruffino, a winery with more than 140 years of history in Pontassieve and six Tuscan estates, transfers its viticultural expertise to vermouth with the same rigour as in Chianti Classico. For Vermutpedia, Antica Ricetta synthesises Tuscan winery red vermouth: monastic infusion, twenty-five botanics, blackberry, rhubarb and fennel verifiable at wineclub.ruffino.it/en/shop/spirits/vermouth-antica-ricetta/. An expression uniting herbal tradition and Tuscan winemaking in one glass.

Discover more

Same type and style — Red · Medium-sweet

Country guide

The best Italian vermouths

Birthplace of modern vermouth: we are re-evaluating the full Italian catalogue. Until the new scores are published, the table at the top remains empty.

View Italia ranking →