How to make artisanal Vermouth: a journey through herbs, wine, and tradition

 

🌱 Transparency is our most important ingredient

At Collettivo Botanico, we believe that an artisanal product is not just a matter of taste, but also of trust. That is why we have decided to tell you in a simple and direct way how our Vermouth is born, and why every ingredient, every step, and every production choice is transparent and traceable.

We are not interested in protecting industrial secrets: we are interested in sharing living knowledge that comes from the land, the winemakers, the artisans, and those who – like you – choose to drink with awareness.

 

What is Vermouth and where does it come from

Vermouth is an aromatized and fortified wine whose origins date back to the late 18th century in Turin. It is said that in 1786, herbalist Antonio Benedetto Carpano created the first modern Vermouth by mixing Moscato wine with over thirty varieties of herbs and spices, including wormwood – the bittering ingredient par excellence that still defines its aromatic identity today.

Perhaps not everyone knows that the term vermouth comes from the German Wermut, which means wormwood. A direct homage to that wild plant with an intense and medicinal profile, which represents the botanical soul of every respectable vermouth.

 

Key ingredients: the heart of the process

Wine base

Traditionally, Moscato has been used, but European regulations do not restrict the use of a specific grape variety: they only require that at least 75% of the final product be made of wine.

This freedom is what inspired us to experiment with territorial vermouths, such as Vermouth di Neoneli (made from Sardinian grapes) and Vermouth delle Eolie, liquid interpretations that recount the landscape through local grape varieties and botanicals.

Neutral alcohol

It is used to fortify the wine and stabilize the product, bringing the alcohol content to between 14.5% and 22%, depending on the desired style.

Aromatic and bittering botanicals

Every producer has their own “secret recipe,” but some botanicals are considered traditional:

• Bittering agents: wormwood, gentian, cinchona, angelica root
• Aromatics: bitter orange, sage, angelica, coriander, lavender, saffron

The quantity and combination vary depending on the territory, the starting wine, and the sensory profile to be achieved.

 

 

🔄 The artisanal process

 

Maceration of the botanicals

The herbs and spices are infused in alcohol or wine to extract their aromas and bittering components. It is an ancestral method that we still use in our laboratory today.

Blending with the base wine

The resulting macerate is combined with the wine, precisely calibrating roundness, sweetness, and body. Every vermouth is born from the balance of different elements, like a musical score.

Sweetening

Simple sugar is added, just enough to balance the aromatic intensity of the herbs without covering their voice, with no added colorants.

Resting and filtration

The blend rests in tanks or barrels. During this time, it harmonizes, stabilizes, and cools naturally to allow solid particles to settle. Only at the end is it filtered and bottled.

 A transparent pact with those who drink our products

In a world where marketing often hides more than it reveals, Collettivo Botanico chooses transparency.

We believe that those who choose our vermouth should know exactly what is inside, where it comes from, and why we make it this way.

This article is part of our commitment: to tell, to share, to open up. Because trust cannot be bought: it must be cultivated. Just like the herbs we use for our vermouths.