PRESENTING....THE KING AND QUEEN OF FLAVORS: RED AND WHITE VERMOUTH

By Dianne Boate and Robert Meyer

Once upon a time a young woman was sent on her first trip abroad to Amsterdam, Holland, as part of her job. The hotel was not something quaint she secretly hoped for, but a bit flashy, American style. Nonetheless, it was going to be home for a few days and upon arrival she set out exploring the place, and looking for the dining room.

But first there was a happy sound of laughter, clinking glasses and English spoken so she wandered into the bar. A minute later, a suave , nice looking man with silvery hair addressed her very politely. and then announced that her first drink in Holland should be something special and he would order it.

"It is called the Americano," he explained, raising his glass to hers.

He turned out to be an American who lived in Paris doing brief business in Holland, a designer of the 1939 New York Fair; she turned out to be me, Dianne, working for the Dating Game televisions show on chaperone assignment, and the drink turned out to be half red, (sweet) and half white ( dry) vermouth, served over ice with a lemon twist.

This is how my romance with vermouth began. All of my feelings of adventure, expectations, the thrill of being in Europe, the icy weather, the smell of Amsterdam, were captured forever in that first sip. It was 1967.

VYA VermouthPWN members

What? VYA. Vermouth. It is the one of the newest products from Andy Quady, who first made his winemaking name with Port wine, with zinfandel grapes from Amador County. He distinguished himself by calling one of his ports "Starboard" because it is forbidden to call port "Port" unless it comes from Portugal.

When Andy turned his attention to making vermouth, the world was in for a magical elixer. Aromatic plant material - herbs, flowers, and spices - was selected for infusion into a quality fortified wine. The result of his choices is a very exceptional beverage. Awards, and accolades from the press prove it.

EXCELLENCE

We try to specialize in telling you about things we find that are just the best.
Just recently Dianne discovered another aspect of VYA Vermouth not previously considered that adds to its allure. Remember we started out with the mixture of the red and white vermouths to make a drink. Also keep in mind that vermouth traditionally is the ingredient that makes the martini and the Manhattan. Well! VYA SWEET VERMOUTH and VYA EXTRA DRY VERMOUTH on their own, make a fabulous aperitif. To really taste it, we poured out samples that were not chilled and added no ice. It is an amazing experience that you will have to try for yourself! Retailing around $16, this is also a bargain in its slim elegant bottle.

Almost forgot! Try adding 1/2 cup of the dry vermouth to your pan of chicken pieces that were browned in butter and garlic and olive oil and let simmer until fork tender. Wonderful!

To sum up, here is our idea ofVya Vermouth Heaven: