United States of Vermouth - Extra Dry Vino Vermouth di Salida

Extra Dry Vino Vermouth di Salida 

Origin: Salida, Colorado

Producer: Vino Salida Wine Cellars (in collaboration with Wood’s High Mountain Distillery 

ABV: 15.5% 

Wine Base: Black Muscat 

Known Botanicals: Angelica Root, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Sage, Wormwood, & Yarrow 

Sugar: None 

Look – Very light straw color with light gold/silver highlights. 

Nose – Rosemary and piney notes with hint of wormwood in background. 

Mouth – Light textured white wine with herbs and wormwood foregrounded as black pepper overtones build toward mid-taste. Moderate acidity that builds at the mid-taste and lingers through the end along with light wormwood bitterness before it closes into a dry, slightly funky finish 

The extra dry is my third foray into Vino Salida’s vermouth trio. I’m drawn toward seco styles as the botanical don’t have to compete with sugar. Yes there are some spices and botanicals that thrive, even shine in sweet environments, but there is a purity of dry styles that let herbal flavors fly. This vermouth, though a bit one-dimensional (or is it 2-D) allows a general herbal profile to assert itself, but not too boldly. It has a decidedly strong finish, some sage advice, but the arguments leading up to it are a little weak, somewhat unconvincing. Nonetheless, not a bad tipple, if fact, I think I’ll have another taste! 

Thus concludes my explorations with winemaker Steve Flynn and distiller P.T. Wood and their experiments with aromatized wine, Rocky Mountain high style, in Colorado. Word up is that Steve is trying to sell the business. Let’s hope that whomever takes over continues with a similar vision and keeps this new/old tradition moving forward. 

Taste (scale of 1 – 5) 

Wood / Vanilla 1 

Bitter - 2 

Alcohol 1 

Sweet 0 

Acid 3 

Caramel 0 

Aromas (scale of 1 – 5) 

Spicy 1 

Astringent (barks, roots) 2 

Vegetal / Herbal 2 

Floral 1 

Fruity 0