portfolio ➜ origin ➜ Italy
Trentino-Alto Adige
Categories: Vino Amaro, Red Bitter Aperitif, Floral/Herbal/Amaro Liqueurs
Long a part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and its precursors, Trentino-Alto Adige became part of Italy in 1919 following the First World War. The autonomous region is the most northerly and alpine in all of Italy. The northern portion, known officially as Südtirol-Alto Adige, is linguistically and culturally Germanic; the southern portion, with Trento as its capital, more Italian. Winegrowing in both pre-dates the arrival of the Romans. Today, local grape varieties including Nosiola, Schiava, Lagrein and Teroldego are grown alongside both cool-climate (Kerner, Muller-Thurgau) and well-established international varieties (Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Nero, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon). Like other Italian wine regions, there is a long history of aromatized wines, the mountainous Dolomiti creating an array of distinctive mesoclimates yielding numerous botanicals for vini amari, most notably wild blueberries and mugo, a dwarf mountain pine prized for its herbaceous fruit. Incorporating local traditions, distilling and liqueur production have become an increasingly important part of the regional economy during the latter half of the twentieth century.
Vino Amaro
Pasubio Vino Amaro
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 17.0% ABV
17.0% ABV
Pasubio is a true taste of the Dolomite Mountains in the Trentino region. On a base of rich aged wine you’ll find notes of blueberries, pine and smoke, together with bitter alpine herbs. It is rare among amari to feature mountain berries. The recipe from Giuseppe Cappelletti dates back to the early 20th century and is among the Erboristeria’s first amari. Traditionally enjoyed neat, typically at cellar temperature or chilled. Pasubio makes simple and delicious spritzes with tonic, soda, sparkling lemonade, or bitter lemon. Also pairs well in mixed drinks with bourbon, rye, or brandy. Full details
Elisir Novasalus
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 16.0% ABV
16.0% ABV
Perhaps the most earnest of digestivi, Elisir Novasalus is revered in Alto Adige and regions beyond. Made by an Erboristeria (master of botanicals) and trader in wines, it combines in a six-month process the plants from the surrounding high alps (Alto Adige) with a dry Marsala and a unique tree sap of Sicily. The resulting amaro is bold, bitter and exceptionally complex, with layers upon layers of flavor. Famously comforting after a large meal. While not traditionally mixed, it is nicely followed by a small glass of sparkling wine. Unrivalled in its palate effect, it makes for a perfect finish to a meal. Full details
Negroni Insorti
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 17.0% ABV
17.0% ABV
Negroni Insorti (‘insurgents’) is at once as familiar as it is unexpected. It is a Negroni cocktail made in a singular construction, from raw ingredients to a finished product—every last detail is deliberate. It features the primary botanicals of its namesake: citrus peels, gentian, wormwood, and juniper, with fruits and flowers providing the color. Wine-based, and vegan-friendly. Enjoy over ice with an orange twist. Negroni Insorti is made just outside of Trento in Alto Adige by the Cappelletti family, who also produce a number of exceptional aperitivi and amari. Full details
Red Bitter Aperitif
Aperitivo Cappelletti
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 17.0% ABV
17.0% ABV
The Aperitivo Cappelletti, endearingly known to locals as just “Specialino”, may be the oldest style of the classic red bitter still in production. Unlike its larger commercial rivals, Cappelletti is less sweet and has a wonderful drying finish. Additionally, it still uses natural carmine color for a crimson red and retains a vinous texture from its wine base. It offers a vibrant and flavorful profile, complemented by bitter undertones on a traditional wine base. This yields a Negroni or Spritz that is dry and refreshing in the finish. It is made just outside of Trento in Alto Adige by the Cappelletti family, who also produce a number of other exceptional aperitivi and amari. Full details
Aperitivo Mazzura
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 17.0% ABV
17.0% ABV
Aperitivo Mazzura distinguishes itself in both its multidimensional flavor and stunning fuchsia color. Botanicals are sourced from Dolomite hills and valleys in Italy's Triveneto region, birthplace of the spritz. Mazzura's color comes from a unique blend of flowers and fruits that is entirely natural and vegan-friendly. Try Mazzura in a Negroni, Boulevardier or Spritz. It is made just outside of Trento in Alto Adige by the Cappelletti family, who also produce a number of other exceptional aperitivi and amari. Full details
Floral/Herbal/Amaro Liqueurs
Alpeggio Hay Liqueur
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 24.0% ABV
24.0% ABV
COMING SOON In high alpine meadows, or ‘Alpeggio,’ a magical aroma arises as the sun slowly dries the native plants and flowers that comprise wild mountain valley hay. Capturing this essence in a liqueur is a tradition that extends from Italy’s Dolomites, though the Austrian Alps, into Bavaria. Select alpine meadow hay botanicals within deliver fine grassy and floral aromas, also giving notes of green tea, chocolate, honey, and a hint of cinnamon. Enjoy neat, with soda or tonic, or mix with gin, white rum, or young Scotch. Full details
Amaro Alta Verde
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 24.0% ABV
24.0% ABV
Amaro Alta Verde’s hallmark flavor was common long ago throughout the Adriatic, though seldom found in the last half century. The principal ingredient is assenzio, a variety of wormwood. A complementary blend of alpine herbs, citrus and spice frame and lighten the classic bitter profile. True to its origins, the aromas evoke a summer forest in all its verdant splendor. Upon tasting, Alta Verde yields impressive length and complex bitterness, intertwined with gentle sweetness and bright herbal notes that give balance throughout the palate. Full details
Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro
Italy ➜ Trentino-Alto Adige 20.0% ABV
20.0% ABV
The term Sfumato derives from the Italian word for smoke - ‘fumo’. It is traditionally associated with a style of Renaissance painting characterized by subtle transitions between areas of dark and light. This speaks directly to this amaro’s profile, which marries a dark smokiness with bitter woodsiness from alpine herbs and notes of sweet alpine berries. The main ingredient is a special Rabarbaro (rhubarb) variety that grows in Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto. Enjoy with tonic, grapefruit soda, or whiskey. Full details