A Visual Guide to Herbs Used to Make Vermouth
August 08, 2013
This summer I visited Turin and Pessione Italy with Martini vermouth. The distillery hosts the Martini visitors' center and museum, and in this post you can read about how Martini vermouths are made.
On one particularly lovely day, our group piled into cars and drove around the countryside to see the local herbs used to make the vermouth.
We turned off into one field where we saw many local herbs growing: a few varieties of wormwood, chamomille, cilantro, and the very aromatic local peppermint.
Then we stopped into a farm cooperative where Martini sources many of the botanicals for the vermouth. Helpfully they set out fresh and dried herbs that go into the vermouth, so I snapped shots. In the case where I found both the dry and the fresh version of the herb, I've put them together in the image- click the thumbnail to expand.
Artemisia Absinthim: They grow three types of wormwood locally.
Artemisia Pontica (Roman wormwood):
Artemisia Valesiaca:
Artemisia Volgare (Mugwort):
Roman Chamomille:
Gentian Root, Gentian Flowers:
Iperico (St. John's Wort):
Melissa (Lemon Balm)
Menta Piperita. This is the highly-aromatic local peppermint.
Santoreggia (Savory):
Tarassaco (Dandelion):
Salvia Sclarea (Clary)
Hopefully that will be a useful guide to some herbs used in vermouth and other drinkables.
That's interesting. Are the genuses of absinthe different in Italy than in the US, or am I badly translating?
I ask because in classification terms, Artemisia Pontica is also known as Roman Wormwood, Artemisia Absinthium is also known as Grande Wormwood. It would seem as though the labels are mixing up the two.
Thoughts?
Brian Robinson
Media Liaison
The Wormwood Society
Posted by: Brian Robinson | August 09, 2013 at 05:03 AM
do they make any varietal honeys from all those beautiful fields?
Posted by: stephen | August 09, 2013 at 12:05 PM
The English names are mine from quick googling, so they could be misidentified by me. In a booklet they gave us, Roman Wormwood is identified as Artemisia absinthium L. and what they label simply as Wormwood is artemisia Pontica L. yet it seems that "pontica" would refer to the pope, and therefore Roman.
So, I don't know.
Posted by: Camper English | August 09, 2013 at 12:20 PM
I didn't see any.
Posted by: Camper English | August 09, 2013 at 12:21 PM
Such exotic ingredients used..I was completely unaware. Thanks for the information!
Posted by: Mike Surdyka | August 13, 2013 at 03:55 PM
This is a great help in designing my first vermouth-like liqueur. All the more useful to me because I already grow most of these herbs!
Posted by: William Riley-Land | October 29, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Can you pls give me the receipy of the Vermouth Dry ,. Can you assist me to buy the Vermouth Herbs so that I will try to experiment with it on producing Vermouth.
In the past I used to make it myself from ready made white wine. Adding sugar, caramel, vermouth herbs. Leaving to fermentate for 3 weeks, then syphen with gaze to make it clear. Repeat procedure 3 times and leave to settle for 2 weeks.
I forgot the measurments of the above. Also in my country there is no herbs of vermouth for sale. So I must imort from abroad.
Thanks and regards
Marius Schembri
Posted by: Marius Schembri | August 10, 2014 at 02:10 AM
I'm looking for the vermouth herb to make a tea out of which is supposed to help eliminate parasites. Can you tell me where to get it?
Posted by: Craig Linford | January 11, 2015 at 10:02 PM
I assume you mean wormwood. You can buy that at herb shops, but I don't know what kind or what dosage (there are many kinds). Best to consult a professional before attempting anything.
Posted by: Camper English | January 12, 2015 at 09:55 AM