Wencouragement is the trend. In the slipstream of the gin and cocktail boom that has been going on for years, the good old spiced wine, which has long stood for cheap booze and was always on the bottom shelf of the supermarket and beverage store shelves, has celebrated an amazing comeback, and not only in the classic vermouth countries of Italy, France and especially Spain. In this country, too, sophisticated vermouth is now being produced. It all started a few years ago with Belshazzar from Baden, the Helmut brand from Hamburg is now very popular, and in the Rhine-Main area too, wine is flavored with herbs and spices. For example at Schloss Johannisberg, where Schloss Vermouth is made from Riesling late harvest, tart herbs and bitter oranges – and sold for very sporty 39.90 euros per 0.75 liter bottle.
Significantly cheaper, but at least as convincing, is the “Wirmut” that the Domdechant Werner winery in Hochheim has now created and brought to market together with the Hoffer Alter distillery in Rösrath, Bergisches Land. The name is intended to indicate that it is expressly a joint project between the winemaker Catharina Mauritz and the distiller Tino Müllenbach and the collaboration between two traditional family businesses.
Basis for drinks and cocktails: But the “Wirmut” also tastes pure on ice or with tonic water.
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Image: Domdechant Werner
Golden yellow in the bottle, the cautiously sweetened “Wirmut” in the nose shows a fine, rosy floral scent and typical Riesling aromas, on the palate then a pleasant freshness with notes of green apples and spicy juniper. Served pure on ice with a lemon wedge or with a little tonic, it is a pleasantly refreshing aperitif. It is also suitable as an ingredient for classic cocktails such as a dry martini, for which 5cl gin with 1cl Wirmut is stirred cold on ice, strained into a pre-chilled glass and finally garnished with a green olive. The Wirmut can be bought on the Internet at www.derschnapsmacher.de for 19.95 euros per 0.5 liter bottle.
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