Chocolate Vermouth Pays Tribute to Storied Piedmont Traditions
CUCKOO FOR COCOA: Two young entrepreneurs, heirs of Piedmontese families that have made history, have teamed to add a new, unexpected and tasty twist to vermouth: Cocoa beans.
Ettore Fila, son of Giansevero Fila, who established the Fila Sport fashion brand in 1969, has partnered with Orsolani 1894, helmed by Gianluigi Orsolani, for a new version of the fortified wine.
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Fila has been leading the Wool and Chocolate confectionery brand, aimed at preserving — and updating — the pastry-making tradition of the Piedmont region in northern Italy, where he was born and raised. The reference to wool also reflects the region’s storied expertise in processing the fabric — hence the name for the first Wool and Chocolate Vermouth, where clearly there is no trace of any yarn.
The entrepreneur has been making a business out of the signature canestrello Biellese, a biscuit made of two layers of wafer enveloping a stuffing of dark chocolate.
The royal Savoia family began to promote the vermouth industry from the end of the 18th century, turning Piedmont into a key producer of the drink.
“My idea was to combine two Piedmontese excellences in food and beverage to offer consumers an unprecedented experience with two traditional specialties: the Biella canestrellino, which Wool and Chocolate for the first time presented in the mignon and dark chocolate format, and the Turin vermouth,” Fila explained. In Gianluigi Orsolani, he said he found “the same values of absolute quality and respect for the tradition in innovation.”
Orsolani’s grandfather Giovanni Orsolani returned from America and founded in 1894 the winery that specializes in the production of dry white wines and desserts made from the Erbaluce grape in the Canavese area of Piedmont.
The Wool and Chocolate Vermouth, produced with the Erbaluce grape variety, with 21 percent alcohol content, is obtained through a combination of herbs and aromatic spices, including wormwood, artemisia, cinchona, citrus fruits and cocoa beans according to a formulation created to accompany the canestrellini, handcrafted by Wool and Chocolate according to the original 19th century recipe.
This is the first time that the concept of a “gastronomic vermouth,” combined with a food type, has been launched, according to Fila.
Orsolani said that the preview of the vermouth at Vinitaly, the largest wine exhibition in the world that was held in Verona last month, was “a success, appreciated by both Italians and foreigners. We expect a very positive response to our made-in-Piedmont match.”
The limited-edition vermouth was produced in 400 bottles that retail at 25 euros each. Starting this month, they will be available on the Wool and Chocolate website.
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