The 19th Century: Aperitifs become fashonables

The Wermouth wine was very much in favor with Turinese aristocracy.

Late-19th-century enology handbooks held that the real Vermouth di Torino – the best and the most-prized – had to be made using Moscato Canelli as its base wine.

In 1838, the first to attempt to export it were the Cora brothers, Giuseppe and Luigi, whose test sale in America was hugely successful. In those years, some leading wineries, or Case, gained renown, and they are still celebrated today in connection with this important product.

Their names and trademarks came to symbolize new lifestyles and the ceremonial aperitif.

Famous artists designed vermouth advertisements, creating posters that became classics in the history of advertising and were key to the success of some brands’ communication.

Vermouth, in its different styles, quickly attracted a huge demand. The main export markets were Latin America and the United States, while the major European destinations were Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Domestically, vermouth consumption had become fully part of popular culture, particularly in cities like Turin, Milan or Rome, where aperitifs had come to be an outright ritual.

It became customary to meet people at the bar for a glass of vermouth before lunch or dinner. Even at home, hosts would offer vermouth to their guests.

In the china cabinets of modest as well as elegant homes, one could see precious sets of lovely little glasses, typically meant to contain this traditional drink.