Unites States of Vermouth - Bianco Vino Vermouth di Salida

Bianco Vino Vermouth di Salida 

Origin: Salida, Colorado 

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

ABV: 17.5% 

Wine Base: Black Muscat Known 

Botanicals: Anise, Chamomile, Galangal, Horehound, Linden, & Wormwood 

Sugar: Sweetened with Chaffee County alfalfa honey 

Look – Pale yellow/straw colored with light golden highlights. Slight cloudiness 

Nose – Chamomille tea with sweet honey and licorice overtones. An alcohol-y edge. 

Mouth – Taste begins with honey blast with light honeysuckle overtones quickly followed by light acidity which resolves to a low plateau of grassy medicinal herbs then drops to an anise-y grab at the back of the throat and a long, very slightly smokey, drying aftertaste 

This bianco offers up some intriguing stuff, even if it seems not just restrained, but almost tight in giving up its pleasures. I, myself, would like the sweetness balanced by a bit more acidity. Whatever wormwood was used, is begrudging in its effect and taste. I can imagine that if this tipple just had a bit of that tinge of fruitiness and bracing bitterness that wormwood offers, it would sing. As it is this vermouth speaks a bit more in an even tone. It brings up some interesting ideas, but it doesn’t seem to make a forceful case. 

This is my second adventure with winemaker Steve Flynn and distiller P.T. Wood and their explorations of aromatized wine from their vantage point in the Rockies. I’m not totally convinced, but I’m still interested in what their vermouths have to say. 

Taste (scale of 1 – 5) 

Wood / Vanilla 0 

Bitter 1 

Alcohol 2 

Sweet 4 

Acid 2 

Caramel 0 

Aromas (scale of 1 – 5) 

Spicy 1 

Astringent (barks, roots) 3 

Vegetal / Herbal 2 

Floral 3 

Fruity 1