Dolin Rouge Vermouth

Dolin Rouge is a sweet red vermouth from Chambéry, in the Savoie region of the French Alps, bottled at 16% ABV. It is built on a white wine base infused with Alpine herbs, roots and spices, which is the Chambéry tradition: a lighter, more delicate style than the heavier, darker vermouths associated with Turin. The distributor description points to vanilla, dried fruit and gentle bitter herbs, and that fits what you'd expect from the style. The sweetness is clear but not syrupy, with the bitter botanicals holding it in check, so the finish stays fairly clean instead of cloying. In cocktails, Dolin Rouge works as a modifier that adds structure and fruit without taking over the spirit it sits beside. Its spice and dried-fruit character suits a Manhattan, where it rounds out the rye or bourbon, and a Negroni, where it sits between the gin and the Campari. Since it is less heavy than many Italian-style reds, it tends to leave more room for the base spirit. A Boulevardier, a Rob Roy or a classic Martinez are all natural fits. Use roughly equal parts in a Negroni or Boulevardier, and about a two-to-one ratio of whiskey to vermouth in a Manhattan. To drink it on its own as an aperitif, pour it over a large ice cube in a rocks glass and add an orange peel or a thin slice of orange. For a longer, lighter drink, top it with soda water or tonic over ice, which stretches the sweetness and brings out the herbal side. Served well chilled and neat in a small wine glass, it shows its vanilla and spice more directly. It pairs well with salty, savory snacks before a meal, such as olives, salted almonds, cured meats and aged hard cheeses, where the bitterness and sweetness play against the salt. Vermouth is a fortified, aromatized wine, so it changes after opening. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator once opened, with the cap on tight, and use it within a few weeks to a couple of months for the best flavor. Treat it like an opened bottle of wine, not like a spirit that keeps for years on the shelf.