The result of the experiments and intuition of the herbalist Antonio Carpano, Vermouth or Vermut was born in 1786 in a small shop in Turin, from the fortunate union between wine and an infusion of herbs and roots. In fact, it owes its name to the term Wermut with which, in German, Artemisia Maggiore is called.

Today it is classified as a flavored fortified wine and, since 2017, the “Vermouth di Torino” is a registered Geographical Indication.

If the first intuition of the young Antonio Carpano was to make the heavy Piedmontese wine tastier and more appreciable through the infusion of local herbs and aromas, we could define the second as a real marketing strategy.

Carpano had a case of Vermouth delivered to the court. King Vittorio Amedeo III and with him all the Turin nobility were quite impressed. From that moment on, the young Carpano’s Vermouth and his small shop took off, giving rise to a drink with global success.

A success that has continued to this day, so much so that today a plaque celebrates the memory of that day in Piazza Castello.

Info and pairings

Thanks to its aromatic and slightly sweet flavour, it pairs perfectly with light appetizers such as salmon canapés, crostini with pâté or fresh cheeses such as goat’s cheese. It is also ideal to accompany seafood, citrus-based salads or white fish carpaccio.

As an aperitif, it can be enjoyed straight or with ice, or mixed with soda and a slice of orange.