10 culturecheesemag.com DRINKS WITH CHEESE 202 3
W I N E
Vermout
N O T T H A T L O N G A G O ,
vermouth was largely considered a quick way to
sully a cocktail. The bottles that made it to the
United States weren't very inspiring, especially
after they'd sat open, oxidizing in the liquor
cabinet for a few months. But today there's an
array of new vermouths hitting the market, and
the classics are earning f resh respect. Made
with quality ingredients and treated like the
white wines they are based on—kept chilled
and poured f resh—vermouth is gaining favor as
a drink in its own right. While most vermouths
are based on bright, acidic white wine and
all are lightly fortified with alcohol—hovering
around 16 to 18 percent ABV, about the same as
a sherry—that's about it for generalizations. The
European Union requires only that vermouth
take its "characteristic taste" f rom plants in the
Artemisia genus, which contains around 300
species, f rom wormwood to daisies to tarragon.
US law is even more vague, specifying that the
wine be "flavored with herbs and other natural
aromatic flavoring materials." Although fish
and f ried bar snacks are vermouth's traditional
mates, it's clear that the possibilities are far
wider. Keep an open mind, and these vermouth
and cheese couplings might win you over, too.
SILVERY MOON
CREAMERY CAMEMBERT +
Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry Dry
ROELLI RED ROCK +
Noilly Prat Ambré
JASPER HILL FARM
HARBISON +
Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
MITIBLEU +
Martini & Rossi Gran Lusso
S I LV E R Y M O O N
C R E A M E R Y
C A M E M B E R T
TA R A Q . T H OM A S , S pri ng 2 016
