Is Vermouth Wine?
What vermouth is, how it differs from wine, its main styles and how it is enjoyed in Spain.
Anyone tasting a glass of vermouth for the first time may wonder: is this wine, or a different drink altogether? The answer is simple: yes, vermouth is made with wine as its base, but what makes it unique are the added ingredients and the way it is made.
What is vermouth?
Vermouth is a drink made from fortified, aromatised wine flavoured with herbs, spices, flowers and roots. Among all these botanicals, one ingredient is essential: wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), a plant with a bitter, intense flavour, known in Portuguese as losna or artemísia.
The importance of wormwood
The word “vermouth” itself comes from the German wermut, meaning wormwood. It is what gives the drink its characteristic bitter, herbal touch , balancing the sweetness of the fortified wine. Besides vermouth, wormwood also appears in other historic drinks, such as absinthe. In antiquity it was prized as a medicinal plant, above all as a digestive, hence the tradition of drinking vermouth as an aperitif.
What is the difference between wine and vermouth?
Wine: the direct result of fermenting grape must.
Vermouth: starts from that wine, but goes through a process of fortification (the addition of grape spirit) and aromatisation with botanicals, with wormwood as a mandatory ingredient.
In other words: all vermouth is made from wine.
Types of vermouth
Red: sweeter and more intense.
White: fresh and dry, with citrus notes.
Dry: widely used in classic cocktails, such as the Martini.
Rosé: a more modern style, light and balanced.
Curiosities
The alcohol content of vermouth is usually between 14% and 21%, higher than most still wines.
Because it is fortified, vermouth can last several weeks after opening if kept in the fridge.
In Spain, vermouth is traditionally enjoyed as an aperitif, often with tapas and olives.
At EnjoyIberia, we create itineraries that let you not only taste different styles of vermouth, but also visit bodegas and learn up close how it is made. An authentic experience, full of flavour. Get in touch!
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