Cocchi Vermouth di Torino Extra Dry Vermouth 500ml

Giulio Cocchi, a young pastry chef from Florence, settled in the Piedmont town of Asti in the late nineteenth century and founded his winery in 1891, where his vermouths and aromatized wines became fixtures of the Belle Époque and the years that followed. Since 1978, the company has been owned and run by the Bava family, themselves established sparkling wine producers from Monferrato and Langhe, who continue to work from Giulio's original recipes. Extra Dry arrived in 2016 to mark the winery's 130th anniversary, built entirely around Piedmontese ingredients under the label's "Ricetta Piemontese" designation.

Extra Dry starts with Cortese, the same white grape used in Gavi DOCG wine, rather than the Moscato base found in Cocchi's sweeter styles. The wine is infused with wormwood grown in the Piedmont mountains, along with Menta di Pancalieri, a local peppermint variety traditionally used to garnish vermouth in the region, plus lemon peel, coriander, cardamom, and angelica. Like Cocchi's other vermouths, it carries the protected "Vermouth di Torino" geographical indication, which requires production and sourcing to stay rooted in Piedmont.

The result is pale and crisp, opening with fresh apple, melon, and white floral notes from the base wine. Herbal brightness from the mint and lemon peel carries through the palate, while cardamom and angelica add gentle warmth beneath a clean, dry finish.