Macchia Bianco Vermouth 750ml

Macchia was launched by Emilio Rocchino, a Salerno-born bartender who settled on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda before spending time behind the bar in Milan and eventually returning to the island to build his own line of spirits. His original concept was actually a red vermouth honoring the old political tie between Piedmont and Sardinia, and this bianco extends that idea, named for the Mistral, the sharp northwesterly wind that sweeps through in springtime. It is produced partly on Sardinia and partly near Asti, in Piedmont.

The base is a blend of Vermentino and Moscato from Sardinia, where Olbia remains a hub for Vermentino production. Eighteen botanicals, foraged where possible, are individually infused in grain alcohol before joining the wine, among them myrtle leaves, flowers, and berries, the local pompia citrus, elderflower, chamomile, helichrysum, licorice, mint, juniper berry, orange, and lemon. It finishes at eighteen percent alcohol, sweetened with a restrained 160 grams of cane sugar per liter.

Floral and citrus-driven on the nose, the myrtle gives it a distinctly Sardinian backbone, while mint and juniper add lift and the moscato lends a soft, honeyed roundness underneath. Pour it over ice with a splash of soda and a citrus twist, or serve it alongside grilled seafood or a bright, herb-dressed salad.