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Perlino: king of aperitifs

27 September 2023 By db staff writer

Piedmontese producer Perlino is at the top of the tree when it comes to traditional aperitifs, crafting sparkling wine, vermouth and Italian liqueurs.

Founded in 1905, in Castello D’Annone, near Asti, Perlino has the aperitif market cornered. Part of the La Martiniquaise group, Perlino crafts quality sparkling wines, vermouths and liqueurs, enjoyed worldwide during ‘aperitivo hour ’.

The organic Prosecco Extra Dry Biologico Perlino is pale yellow in hue and bursting with fresh, fruity flavours including apple and peach. Light-bodied with delicate, persistent bubbles, it’s the perfect sparkling wine with which to welcome guests to your home, served with seafood appetisers such as smoked salmon or prawns. The use of bio yeasts, as well as being aged on the fermentation yeasts for at least 40 days, gives this wine its enhanced aromatics and fruit flavour.

If pink is more your thing, then Prosecco Rosato DOC Perlino Millesimato Extra Dry is a must-try. Made using a blend of 90% Glera grapes and 10% Pino Nero, it is dry, harmonic and well-balanced, undergoing a minimum of 60 days ageing. Perlino is located within the UNESCO World Heritage-protected terroir of Moscato d’Asti, which comprises 9,700 hectares of vineyard largely dedicated to the production of Asti DOCG wines.

Benchmark for vermouth

Alongside sparkling wine, Perlino is also widely recognised as the benchmark for traditional Piedmontese aperitif, vermouth. To give an idea of the product’s popularity, Perlino’s bottling line fills 12,000 bottles of vermouth per hour, amounting to a total of 10 million bottles during 2022. Made by mixing wine, alcohol, and sugar with carefully selected local herbs and spices, Perlino’s vermouth is distributed in more than 60 countries. The company has used the same recipe for its vermouth for more than a century, and its process of maceration and infusion involves over 20 herbs, all known for their digestive properties. To extract the aromatics, a hydro-alcoholic infusion is prepared whereby herbs are left to rest for a minimum of 30 days.

The European Parliament recently granted IGP (protected geographical indication) status to Turin Vermouth, officially recognising the authenticity of the drink from this region, and its link with Piedmont, the home of Perlino since the company was established.

Through its sister company Dilmoor, located in the province of Bergamo, Perlino also manages the distribution of classic Italian liqueurs such as Limoncello, Amaretto and Grappa, under the premium brand Villa Cardea, with annual production and distribution of 23 million bottles. With so many first-rate Italian aperitifs to choose from, living La Dolce Vita has never been this easy.