Vermouth tastes the way it does for specific reasons. Behind every glass lie decisions: which grapes, which botanicals, how long to macerate, and in what proportions to combine them. At Bodegas Valdepablo we have been making those decisions for nearly a hundred years, and understanding what is inside the bottle
Vermouth tastes the way it does for specific reasons. Behind every glass lie decisions: which grapes, which botanicals, how long to macerate, and in what proportions to combine them. At Bodegas Valdepablo we have been making those decisions for nearly a hundred years, and understanding what is inside the bottle is, in our view, a different way of enjoying it.
The ingredients of vermouth: from the vineyard to the base wine
Everything begins in the vineyard. The base wine is the starting point, and its quality shapes everything that follows. In Calatayud, where our winery is based in Terrer, the dry climate and the wide temperature swings between day and night encourage grapes with excellent acidity and aromatic concentration. Those characteristics are precisely what allow the botanicals to integrate well during maceration. A winery with history knows that the first ingredient of vermouth — the one nobody sees — is often the one that carries the most weight.
Alcohol and sugar are the other two components that give the blend its structure. The alcohol, which in vermouth sits between 14.5% and 17%, acts as a natural preservative and draws out the essences of the botanicals more effectively than water alone. Sugar balances the bitterness and adds body; finding the right proportion between the two is one of the most delicate tasks in the process, and the final character of each variety depends on it in large part. In our shop you can explore the different styles we have developed over the years, each with its own distinct profile.
And then there are the botanicals — the ingredients that turn wine into vermouth. The ingredients of Valdepablo vermouth include a blend of herbs, roots and spices that macerate with the base wine for weeks. Wormwood, rosemary, star anise and chamomile appear in the tasting notes of our classic vermouths, alongside balsamic and woody hints that add depth. Every winery has its own combination, and that combination is its signature.
Organic vermouth ingredients: when origin matters too
With the Biomio range we went a step further. Using organically grown grapes as a starting point means farming without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilisers, which produces a base wine with fewer interferences in its aromatic profile. When that wine meets the botanicals, the aromas have more room to express themselves. The Organic BioMio Red Vermut is the clearest result of what happens when the origin of every ingredient is cared for from the very beginning.
The Biomio botanicals follow the same logic. It is about ensuring that each one comes from where it claims to come from and carries the expected aromatic concentration. In a maceration, a low-quality botanical can throw the entire blend off balance. With organic vermouth ingredients, the margin for error narrows and the attention given to selection has to be greater.
How long does maceration last? It depends on the style. The classic Casa Valdepablo vermouth works with around two weeks of contact between the wine and the botanicals. The Gran Añada extends that process to gain complexity. On our blog we have written about the process in more detail, because we believe that whoever understands what they have in their glass gets more out of it.
The ingredients of vermouth are the foundation, but their value also lies in how they are combined and in the time devoted to them. At Bodegas Valdepablo, that process has been refined for nearly a hundred years, with the same grapes from Calatayud and the same botanicals as always. What accumulates with time is also the knowledge of why every decision matters.
