Bianco

Bianco vermouth (Italian for "white," and near-identical to the French blanc) is a pale-gold, aromatized fortified wine built on a neutral white base, fortified with grape spirit, sweetened, and perfumed with wormwood and a fragrant blend of alpine herbs, flowers, citrus peel, vanilla and spice. Its spiritual home is Turin in Piedmont, the cradle of Italian vermouth, where it forms the sweet, floral middle style between the bone-dry French vermouth and the dark, spiced rosso. Softly sweet but never cloying, it smells of orange blossom, chamomile and vanilla and tastes of citrus zest, honeyed florals and a gentle herbal bitterness that lingers on the finish. At around 16 percent alcohol it is drunk well chilled over ice with an orange twist as an aperitivo, and it is the aromatic backbone of drinks such as the bianco Spritz and a common stand-in for the Lillet Blanc in a White Negroni. Bright, perfumed and easygoing, it is among the most floral and approachable faces of vermouth.