Generality
Vermouth is a fortified wine flavored by adding various vegetables such as: roots, barks, flowers, seeds, aromatic herbs, spices etc.
The most modern versions of vermouth were produced only from the late 14th century AD, in Turin. Similarly to many other alcoholic beverages, this drink was also born as a medicinal remedy against various ailments but its diffusion occurred only a century later as an aperitif or as an ingredient for cocktails; among these, the best known are: Martini Cocktail, Manhattan and Negroni. Vermouth is also often used in the formulation of various gastronomic recipes (replacing white wine).
Originally, there were only two types of vermouth: sweet and dry; however, to satisfy a certain market demand, the most important brands (Nily, Prat and Cinzano) have coined new formulas such as: extra-dry white, sweet white, red, amber or red and rosé.
Vermouth is produced from a base of grape wine not entirely fermented or directly from the must, then adding the exclusive mixture (different for each brand) based on dry ingredients: aromatic herbs, roots, barks and distilled alcohol. Following aromatization and fortification, vermouth is sweetened with brown sugar or caramel.
The world production of vermouta revolves around Italian and French companies, although recently the United States of America and England have also ventured into the sector.
Nutritional Features
Vermouth is a liqueur wine with a percentage of 18% vol. It is therefore deducible that, in healthy people, it is necessary to use smaller portions of consumption compared to simple wine, or that they do not exceed 125-150ml / day. Recall that red vermout tends to be colored with caramel and that the percentage of antioxidants it contains does not justify its frequent and / or systematic use (instead granted in simple wine).
There are also situations in which, regardless of health, the use of vermouth is not recommended at all. It is the case of healthy subjects in the growth phase, of the pregnant woman and of the nurse.
Furthermore, as can be deduced, in case of abuse it may be responsible for the onset or aggravation of various diseases. Among these, some are of a metabolic nature (hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and metabolic syndrome); others concern the toxic effect of alcohol on fabrics. The organs most compromised by excessive alcohol are: liver, kidneys, pancreas and brain. Furthermore, the mucous membranes of the digestive tract that come into contact with the drink also suffer direct damage; it is the case of the esophagus, the stomach and the intestine. Abuse of vermouth or any other alcohol can lead to: aggravation of other intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and rectal ulcerative colitis, increased sensitivity in case of irritable bowel, gastritis, ulcers, gastro esophageal reflux and esophagus by Barrett. Obviously, the chronicization of these conditions significantly increases the risk of cancer (especially of the stomach and esophagus)
It should also be remembered that ethyl alcohol is involved in altering the absorption and metabolism of drugs, as well as in impairing nutritional absorption.
For athletes, the abuse of vermouth can have two noteworthy negative effects. The first concerns body hydration; ethyl alcohol causes an increase in renal filtration and can determine the tendency to dehydration, which is however already stressed by sweating during the activity. Secondly, ethyl alcohol significantly compromises the sleep cycle by preventing recharge of the central nervous system.
Let's not forget that vermouth and other alcoholic beverages are potentially implicated in the onset of drug addiction.
| Sweet Vermouth | Dry Vermouth | ||||
 | |||||
| Edible part | 100% | 100% | |||
| water | 72.4g | 80.8 | |||
| Protein | tr | tr | |||
| Prevailing amino acids | - | - | |||
| Limiting amino acid | - | - | |||
| Lipids TOT | 0.0g | ||||
| Saturated fatty acids | 0.0g | 0.0g | |||
| Monounsaturated fatty acids | 0.0g | 0.0g | |||
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids | 0.0g | 0.0g | |||
| Cholesterol | 0.0mg | 0.0mg | |||
| TOT Carbohydrates | 13.9g | 4.0g | |||
| Starch | 0.0g | 0.0g | |||
| Soluble sugars | 13.9g | 4.0g | |||
| Ethyl alcohol | 12.4g | 15.1g | |||
| Dietary fiber | 0.0g | 0.0g | |||
| Soluble fiber | 0.0g | 0.0g | |||
| Insoluble fiber | 0.0g | 0.0g | |||
| Power | 581.0kcal | 121.0kcal | |||
| Sodium | 28.0mg | 17.0mg | |||
| Potassium | 30.0mg | 40.0mg | |||
| Iron | tr | valigntr | |||
| Football | - mg | - mg | |||
| Phosphorus | - mg | - mg | |||
| Thiamine | - mg | - mg | |||
| Riboflavin | - mg | 0.0mg | |||
| Niacin | - mg | 0.0mg | |||
| Vitamin A | 0.0μg | 0.0μg | |||
| C vitamin | 0.0mg | 0.0mg | |||
| Vitamin E | 0.0mg | 0.0mg | |||
Purposes
As anticipated, vermouth can be drunk neat or used for the formulation of various types of cocktails. It finds many uses also in the kitchen but, due to its intense flavor and aroma, it does not always lend itself to replacing simple wine. Some formulas that include the use of vermouth are: accompanying sauces for meats and fish with a strong flavor and marinades for pork and chicken.
Containing more alcohol, vermouth has a longer shelf life than simple wine. When opened it can be kept for a long time but, in the refrigerator, it is advisable not to cross the 30 days or 3 months (depending on the alcohol content).
Production
The vermouth is produced by means of various grapes such as the Clairette, the Piquepoul, the Bianchetta Trevigiana, the Catarratto and the Trebbiano, from which a slightly alcoholic wine is obtained which can be aged for a short period before adding other ingredients . For the sweet vermouth, sugar syrup is added and then also distilled alcohol (brandy or distillate from sugar beet). The drink is then placed in barrels with the addition of dry ingredients for maturation and the whole is shaken at regular intervals; finally, filtration and bottling take place (caramel is added to obtain a red color). Most vermouths are produced with an alcohol content between 16 and 18% vol.
Additional ingredients of vermouth include: cloves, cinnamon, quinine, citrus peel, cardamom, marjoram, chamomile, coriander, juniper, hyssop, and ginger. Once the wormwood was also used, but it was banned in the 20th century.
Sweet vermouths usually contain 10-15% sugar. The dry ones, on the other hand, do not exceed 4%.
In addition to white and red vermouth, there are golden and rosy versions, but they are not very popular internationally. The French region of Chambéry has received a controlled designation of origin (DOC) for its vermouths, among which there is also a strawberry version (Chambéryzette).
Lillet and Dubonnet are wines similar to fortified vermouths but are usually considered stand-alone products.
The term "Italian vermouth" is often used as a synonym for red vermouth; it has a slightly bitter and not very sweet taste. The French vermouth label, on the other hand, generally refers to white and dry products, more bitter than sweet vermouth. Bitterness is often increased by adding nutmeg and / or bitter orange peel.
