Vermouth Wine Notes: Vya Extra Dry Vermouth

by Jonathan M. Forester, Posted Apr 4th 2007 @ 7:07PM

I was mixing up some martinis the other day for some taste tests of various gins and a friend said to me that vermouth was just vermouth and it didn't matter which one you used. I went ballistic and told him he was nuts. I said that if you are using premium spirits then you have to use premium mixers. Then I turned him on to Vya Extra Dry Vermouth, a product that I have been using the past few months. It's kind of difficult to find but it is available if you are willing to make the effort and is also available straight from the manufacturer, shipped to certain states.

Vya is an ultra-premium vermouth that is a whole different class of being than other vermouth's I have tried. Produced and bottled in California by Andrew Quady Winery, it is created from Columbard and Orange Muscat wines and then steeped with botanicals like lavender, sage, orris, linden and others.

The aroma is teasingly sweet and herbaceous like a dessert wine with hints of herbs. The taste is both sweet and dry at the same time, a tangy, tart taste with a heck of a lot going on without being overwhelming. This vermouth is well blended with smooth and sharp herbs and spices that fill your mouth pleasingly. It is fantastic with martinis, but also tastes great served straight in a glass as an aperitif, or mixed with seltzer for a refreshing take on a wine spritzer. I have to say that if you are going to be using great gin to build your martini, then use great vermouth as well. I haven't tried their sweet vermouth yet but look forward to doing so most anxiously.

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-04-2007 @7:47PM Derrick Schneider said... I discovered Vya years ago at a Fancy Food Show, and have been hooked ever since. I don't use it for martinis, though; I use it for pan sauces. A vermouth based pan sauce is awesome.
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