9diDante vs typical Vermouth
Vermouth is often overlooked. While I am no expert on this fortified aromatized wine, I have heard friends who enjoy martinis speak of waving the vermouth over their martini rather than adding it. Quite honestly, it gets a bad rap.
It can be bitter, and many of the aromatics that are included, like for instance, wormwood, are unfamiliar to many. Aromatics are a sure way to the heart. A familiar aroma can help you travel back to a memory. On the other hand, unfamiliar scents can be off-putting.
Vermouth, as we know it today, originated in Turin, Italy. At the time, it was medicinal. Later, it became a key ingredient for cocktails.
Vermouth basics
This beverage’s base is typically neutral wine fortified with spirits. Herbs and spices are added to expand the aromas.
White vermouth is typically dry, while red vermouth is sweet. Surprisingly, red vermouth is usually made with white grapes, while the color comes from other ingredients.
You’ll notice I said “usually” and “typically” above. That’s because this does not apply to the Vermouths we tasted from 9diDante.
9diDante Vermouth
These vermouths are crafted with quality wine and infused with botanicals that create complex aromatics in the glass.
The white Purgartorio is made from 100% Arneis from the Arneis DOC in Piemonte, Italy. Unlike most, the red is partially made from red wine. It is a blend of 50% Cortese (a white grape from Piemonte) and 50% Dolcetto, a red grape from the region.
Today, we will focus on the Purgatorio, the 9diDante Dry White Vermouth.
This wine is from Vermouth di Torino IGP, only one of 2 vermouth IGPs in the world.
Piemonte DOC Arneis
Arneis is a white grape that is native to Piemonte Italy. The name means “little rascal” in Piemontese and is often used to describe surly, short-tempered individuals. Perhaps this name refers to the work required to get this finicky grape to the right ripeness levels and proper yields.
The Arneis here comes from near the area of Alba.
9diDante Purgatorio
This Vermouth takes inspiration from Dante’s climb up Mount Purgatory.
Each of the botanicals represents one of the levels:
Level 1 – Woodruff – Stubbourness
Level 2 – Thyme – Repentance
Level 3 – Sage – Pride
Level 4 – Mint – Envy
Level 5 – Artemisia Absinthium – Wrath
Level 6 – Melissa – Sloth
Level 7 – Lemon Peel – Avarice
Level 8 – Bitter Orange Peel – Gluttony
Level 9 – Coriander – Lust
Those are the symbolic botanicals that are added. In total, there are over 27 different botanicals included in this vermouth.
Symbolically, they represent the sins that Dante renounced as he climbed Mount Purgatory.
This Extra-Dry Vermouth is based on Arneis white wine and is more intense and full-bodied than your typical Dry Vermouth. It is 100% Arneis from the Langhe Arneis DOC.
Where many vermouths use only the 75% base wine that is necessary legally, the Purgatorio blend is 84% wine. This is a wine-forward vermouth.
Both the wine and botanicals come from the area around Alba in the Piemonte.
SRP $35
Abv 18%
Including Dry Vermouth in Recipes
Nurse Vermouth Cocktail
We started off with a simple cocktail to get a feel for the vermouth.
I found a cocktail recipe for a drink called a “Nurse”.
- 3 parts dry vermouth
- 1 part soda
- with a cucumber wheel
Vermouth in Recipes
I also wanted to feature Vermouth in a recipe pairing and put together two recipes.
Baked Scallops in butter vermouth sauce and fennel and celery braised in vermouth.
We will give you a brief overview followed by the recipe cards!
Baked Sea Scallops
with
Garlic Vermouth Butter sauce
The baked scallops came out perfectly cooked! Their texture was tender and creamy, with a bit of crunch on top from the panko and Grano Padano.
These take almost no time to prep and bake for just 20 minutes. This is a sure way to get your scallops to come out tender.
We sopped up the sauce with crunchy bread, which pulled the aromatics from the vermouth and the richness of the butter, making this an altogether delicious and comforting pairing.
We also garnished with a bit of fennel frond since we were making the fennel dish also.
Braised Fennel and Celery in Dry Vermouth
This is an aromatic forward dish. If you like the vermouth, you will like the dish. Michael discovered he did not like vermouth. (Remember what I said about unfamiliar aromatics?). As a result, I enjoyed the vegetables all by myself.
I caramelized the fennel and celery first in butter and just a little bit of sugar to help it caramelize and brown. Then I mixed water, vermouth, butter, salt, celery seed, and pepper in my dutch oven. When the butter had melted, I added the fennel and celery back in, covered the surface with parchment paper and allowed it to braise for about 20 minutes. The paper then comes off and I stirred in the celery leaves and allowed it to cook another 5 minutes. It was garnished with fennel fronds and lemon zest.
The braised fennel and celery began as a braised celery dish until RJ suggested adding fennel.
*RJ Owens is an actor, comedian, and magician. He is “The Baby” in Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère. I have the opportunity to fill in as a Stage Manager on the show, running a deck track, and this gives me time to spend backstage with RJ, waiting for him to head onstage with the golf cart. We fill this time by discussing food and recipes. You can find his podcast “Undelivered Promises with 2 Characters and a Clown”, where he, Jimmy Slonina and Johnny Miles chat and enjoy a dish that RJ has prepared. https://2charactersandaclown.com
The Recipes!
Baked Sea Scallops with Garlic Vermouth Butter sauce
The scallops bake slowly and are perfectly tender. Topped with crunchy panko and grano padano, they dip their toes in a sauce of butter, garlic, lemon juice, and an aromatic Vermouth from 9diDante.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons of softened butter
- 6 large sea scallops
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 fresh lemon squeezed
- 3 tbsp dry white vermouth (like 9diDante's Purgatorio)
- 1/4 cup of finely grated grano padano
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Butter the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.
- Clean the scallops and pat dry.
- Arrange them at the bottom of the baking dish.
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the minced garlic, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Remove this from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and vermouth.
- Pour this over the scallops.
- Mix the grano padano, panko, salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle liberally over the top of the scallops.
- Bake for 20 minutes and serve with crusty bread to sop up all that delicious sauce!
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 412Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 19gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 92mgSodium 1180mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 11g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Braised Fennel and Celery in Dry Vermouth
Fennel and celery braised in an aromatic sauce of vermouth and butter. Make sure to use a high-quality vermouth like 9diDante's Purgatorio, which is based on the wine Arneis and has high-quality aromatics!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 cups of celery sliced into 2 inch pieces
- 1 bulb of fennel chopped into wedges
- 1 cup of water
- ½ cup of dry vermouth
- 3 tbsp of unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp celery seed
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp celery leaves minced
- Lemon Zest
- Fennel fronds
Instructions
- Heat your large saute pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and the initial 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Sprinkle your fennel wedges with ½ of the sugar and place carefully in the pan.
- Flip when they have begun to caramelize and brown the other side.
- Remove from the pan.
- Sprinkle your celery with the remaining sugar.
- Add more butter and oil to your pan if necessary.
- Gently brown the celery, then remove it from the pan.
- Add to the pan the water, vermouth, butter, salt, pepper, and celery seed.
- When the butter has melted, carefully add your fennel wedges and celery.
- Cover with a sheet of parchment paper, cut to fit, and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the paper and stir in the celery leaves.
- Cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Plate the fennel and celery, add some liquid, and then garnish with fennel fronds and fresh lemon zest.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 282Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 53mgSodium 298mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 1g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
For more information on Vermouth or 9diDante
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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