Cocchi - 'Vermouth di Torino' - Vermouth - Piemonte, IT

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Turin vermouth is a collective heritage of the Piedmontese, whose first great promoter was the royal court of Savoy, which from the end of the 18th century developed a thriving industry that made Piedmont the kingdom of Vermouth. Storico Vermouth di Torino is produced according to Giulio Cocchi's original recipe. This vermouth falls into the category of sweet vermouths, or Italian vermouths, sweet and amber-colored, found in late 19th-century textbooks. Storico Vermouth di Torino by Cocchi played a key role in the international renaissance of high-end vermouths and in the renewed interest of top bartenders in the Vermouth di Torino designation, to the point that in the United States it is colloquially referred to as "Cocchi Torino." It quickly became one of the most popular high-end vermouths in the world's best bars. Giulio Cocchi's original recipe calls for herbs like cinchona and rhubarb, which give the lovely clear wine a light brown hue. To accentuate the amber hue, browned sugar, prepared over the stove like crème caramel, is added. Along with its color, it also adds a special touch to the flavor: a crunchy, cotton candy texture that smooths out all the bitterness without the need for vanilla. A vermouth that excites, rich in sensations: among the aromatic herbs and spices, artemisia and citrus take center stage, which, together with cinchona, give balanced bitter and citrus tones that characterize the Cocchi style. The flavor is rich, with vibrant notes of cocoa and bitter orange. The infusion of several noble and balsamic woods yields light camphorated notes and hints of rosemary. Among the minor ingredients are herbs and woods with unique aromas, such as sandalwood, myrrh, and nutmeg. How to drink it Delicious neat, with ice and lemon zest, but an essential base for creating the most classic cocktails, from Negroni to Manhattan.

Notes on the Producer

Giulio Cocchi was a young and creative pastry chef from Florence, where he worked in the most popular bar located in Piazza del Duomo. In the late nineteenth century he moved to Asti, a small but lively town in the north west of Italy, not far from Torino. Cartolina CocchiThe legend tells that he fell in love with the owner’s daughter of one of the bars at Piazza Alfieri – the main square in Asti. It seems that his love was corresponded and that is why that bar is still called today Bar Cocchi – a central point in town. There, fascinated by the local food and wine tradition, he discovered Asti as being the capital of Moscato and the local wide-spread attitude to blend wines with herbs and spices. In 1891 Giulio Cocchi based there his activity as a distiller and sparkling wine maker. He was able to offer a range of special aromatized wine. Particularly Barolo Chinato, Aperitivo Americano and a few different Vermouths became well known and very successful quite soon. Giulio Cocchi had the great idea of establishing authorized retailers where people could taste his products. In 1913 there were seven Cocchi tasting Bars in Piemonte that soon became twelve. Giulio Cocchi completaCocchi’s original products and recipes was well-known during Belle Epoque and on the versatile scene of the Futurist period. Cocchi’s products and name were soon spreading worldwide, as shown by exportation documents to New York, London, Sydney, Colonial Africa and Venezuela, where the “Casa Cocchi de Venezuela” was founded and run for a long while in Caracas. Since 1978, Giulio Cocchi is owned and operated by the Bava Family, themselves highly renowned wine producers in Monferrato and Langhe. Today the winery still maintains its artisan character and follows the original recipes, formulated by Giulio Cocchi in 1891, to craft the distinctive wines that have made the Cocchi a cult name. Among the results of last 30 years, the defense of Barolo Chinato from forgetfulness and the relaunch of Vermouth di Torino category. Storico Vermouth di Torino since 2011 has been the driving force for the rebirth of the top-of-the-range Vermouth di Torino on the international scene. Not to be forgotten the attention for the sparkling wines, with the committment for the valorization of Alta Langa DOCG. Cocchi produces, since 1891, wine-based aperitifs and hundred percent Piedmontese sparkling wines following the best traditions of Asti area. The winery has inherited from the founder Giulio Cocchi an unlimited liveliness and a deep quality research leading its products to be known and appreciated in the five continents. All Cocchi products are wine-based and the recipes are those of the past, concealed upon the insights and intuitions of the same Giulio Cocchi. What defines Cocchi style is then its elegance and authenticity: the quality of the wine and of the other ingredients, the century-old technical expertise and a passion and creativity that have never failed over the years. Since 2012 Giulio Cocchi is inscribed in the National Register of the Historic Companies in Italy for its first 130 years of uninterrupted activity.