In South America there is a loyal base of bitters drinkers — whether it is vermouth, Campari or Fernet. Due to the enormous influx of Italian immigrants in the 19th century, these drinks have always found a place on the dinner table and in local bars. As the world celebrates its very first Vermouth Day this 21st March, I thought it would be fun to recommend some of the best vermouths in South America. There’s been a boom in vermouth production recently with some excellent craft vermouths coming to the fore, often made by local winemakers.
What is vermouth made of?
Vermouth is made from wine which is fortified with brandy (to give it a punchy 16-19% ABV) and it is flavoured with different botanicals. To be vermouth, it has to include at least one wormwood or artemisia as a botanical but it can also include any other combination of fruits, herbs, flowers and barks. What makes the trend particularly exciting for wine geeks is that these craft vermouths include local wine and grape varieties, with locally sourced and foraged botanicals. It’s an interesting dive into the terroirs of South America’s wine regions.
The best vermouths to try from South America
La Fuerza vermouth from Argentina
This trio of Andean vermouths (white, red and pink) is made with wine and botanicals from Mendoza. The guys behind La Fuerza are certainly at the head of Argentina’s vermouth revival and helping bring it back to the tables of restaurants and bars around the country. Julián Díaz, Agustín Camps, Sebastián Zuccardi and Martín Auzmendi are all involved in the world of wine and food, and came together to make good vermouth out of a desire to drink it themselves.
The wine (Malbec and Torrontés are the bases) is all made under the eye of Sebastian Zuccardi, one of Argentina’s top winemakers, in his Santa Julia winery. The botanicals are all sourced from the Andes, with 30 going into the blend.
