Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/426275
{ SOMMjournal.com } 49 from its dusty perch. As one sees with many beverage trends, an abundance of producers have jumped onto the aperitif bandwagon with attempts that are average at best. Some ver - mouth producers use cheap ingredients, powdered elixirs, and corner-cutting production methods as a way to increase scale and reduce costs. Some notable and historic vermouth houses have abandoned their traditional methods in favor of factory- style production to keep up with the new competition. Many of these mass-made vermouths masquerade behind pretty vintage labels to falsely convey an image of artisanal roots, provenance and authenticity—none of which really exist. Luckily for aperitif enthusiasts, purists such as Giancarlo Mancino, a highly established and influential bartender in Europe and Asia, have spotted the trend of what Giancarlo calls "market - ing vermouths," and have invested time and money in reviving the artisan spirit in vermouth production. Roughly two years ago, Giancarlo founded Mancino Vermouth, a line of craft Italian vermouth products made in Piedmont. His goal? To counteract the gross commercialization and commoditization happening in the vermouth industry and to put the low-quality and mass- produced brands into perspective by offering an undeniably superior alternative. Everything about Mancino Vermouth—including the sourcing of ingredients, production methods and packaging—lives up to the U.S. market's romantic expectations surrounding wine, craft spirits and, more recently, aperitifs. So too is the case with Yzaguirre Vermouth from Tarragona, Spain, and Martínez Lacuesta Vermouth from Haro, the wine-making capital of La Rioja. These producers combine a commitment to their region's age-old practices with a passion for the vermouth category. They put quality before cost and patience before profit. They are family-run operations whose pride and reputations rest in their products and the story behind them. So what makes their vermouths so different? The wine Producing truly excellent vermouth is not a simple task, nor is it a cheap one when done the right way. As a wine-based aperitif, a quality base wine is paramount for making quality vermouth. Sugar levels, acidity and alcohol of the base wine must be care - fully matched with the array of botanicals featured in the extract, as well as with the type of spirit used to fortify. The only ways to achieve the right base are to either make your own or carefully source a quality wine suitable to the conzia—the ever-so-guarded extract recipe held dear by vermouth producers. At Martínez Lacuesta, an original Rioja winery dating from the late 1800s, fifth-generation grandson Luis carefully considers growing conditions that year. He then earmarks specific vine - yards that will supply grapes for the vermouth base wine, which is structured around the century-old extract recipe. At Yzaguirre Vermouth, Pepe works closely with neighboring vineyards to ensure the most suitable grapes make it to the vermouth cellar. Once there, Pepe's youngest sibling, Jordi, takes over and begins crafting the perfect base wine, which will ultimately be aged for at least one year in large oak casks. Giancarlo of Mancino Vermouth is equally fanatical about where his grapes come from, his standards being as high as any in the wine industry; he uses Trebbiano di Romagna as a precise and crisp base to strike the perfect balance with the botanical extract, before marrying the two in the cellar in an intensive nine-month process. The botanicals Ingredient sourcing is another differentiator between mass- produced and artisanal vermouth. Although often overlooked, the quality lesson of the base wine also holds true for botanicals— the herbs, spices, roots and berries that construct the backbone of any vermouth. Mass producers purchase low-cost botanicals in the form of pre-crushed powders, often of unknown origin. The result is thinner, stale ingredients that release less flavor during maceration. Even worse, some will use pre-fabricated extracts with an artificially designed flavor profile created with chemicals. On the other end of the spectrum, artisanal vermouth produc - ers only source ingredients from suppliers vetted for quality and PHOTO: JOANN ARRUDA Mancino Vermouth is made in Italy's Piedmont region by noted bartender Giancarlo Mancino. Photographed at Damn the Weather in Seattle.