Craft, small batch Vermouth

MADE IN THE YARRA VALLEY BY WINEMAKERS WITH A CURIOUS SENSE OF SPIRITS

A LONG AND SURREAL HISTORY

Vermouth has a long and surreal history, on the fringes of apothecary, art and medicine.

The consumption of fortified wines infused with herbs and roots is believed to have begun in China, dating as far back as 1250–1000 BC. The botanicals were added to wine to make it a medicinal drink.

Vermouth—as a commercial product—originated around Turin, Italy in the 18th century. Shortly thereafter, lighter, drier styles emerged from Chambéry and Marseilles, France in colourless or straw-coloured form.

The word “vermouth” is derived from the German word for “wormwood”, which still remains one of vermouth’s primary infused botanicals.

WHY VERMOUTH IS NOW THE DRINK DU JOUR

Over the past year, numerous food and beverage trendspotters have declared a vermouth renaissance. A renaissance owing to our growing fondness for cocktails.

After years of neglect outside France and Italy it is becoming a fashionable drink in London’s hippest cocktail bars, which, as was the case with the gin and tonic revival, appears to be following a Spanish lead.

Made from hand-picked, biodynamic viognier grapes, whole bunched pressed and wild fermented in French puncheons and barriques.

This craft, small batch vermouth has exacting measures of local and imported botanicals, the most influential on the style being wormwood, juniper, gentian, bay leaf, cinchona and seville orange.

The botanicals are macerated separately in the fortifying spirit (a distillate of the mother wine) and the blended aromatic spirit is then used to fortify the mother wine to 17% alcohol.

The resulting vermouth is racked, coarse filtered and bottled with only a minimal amount of sulphur.