Calissano

The Piedmontese vermouth tradition

The historical context of Calissano’s vermouth begins in Turin in 1786, when Antonio Benedetto Carpano produced vermouth in his shop. The preparation combined wine with herbal and spice essences and raised the alcoholic strength to approximately 18% to improve preservation. Vermouth subsequently became a fashionable aperitif in Turin, gained the favour of the Royal House, spread internationally through the proliferation of producers during the nineteenth century and acquired the status of a fashionable drink in the early twentieth century.

1872: foundation in Alba

Luigi Calissano founded the wine house bearing his name in Alba in 1872. Known as Casa Vinicola Luigi Calissano e Figli, it was conceived as a modern establishment and developed with an explicitly entrepreneurial outlook. Production was not confined to the classic red wines of the Langhe: it also encompassed traditional-method sparkling wines and vermouth, then a regular presence on Piedmontese dining tables.

Late nineteenth century: Duca d’Alba

Calissano’s documented sparkling-wine history began by the end of the nineteenth century with the introduction of Duca d’Alba Metodo Classico. This established the house’s long association with bottle-fermented sparkling wine, an identity now continued through Alta Langa DOCG.

International expansion

Domestic consumption was not the sole driver of growth. Luigi Calissano & Figli entered foreign markets and went so far as to establish a production facility in New York. The surviving brand chronology assigns this development an impossible pre-foundation date, so the expansion can be placed only as a later phase of the company’s growth.

1991 and 2017: recognition of Vermouth di Torino

In 1991, Vermouth di Torino entered the list of European Community designations, initially without detailed production regulations or specifications. A new geographical indication and production code were established in March 2017. The rules strengthened the product’s Piedmontese identity by requiring both the base wine and aromatic herbs to originate in Piemonte.

Contemporary revival

Calissano’s current identity revives its historical links with traditional-method sparkling wine and vermouth in a renewed presentation that remains attentive to their origins. Alta Langa DOCG reconnects the name with its late-nineteenth-century sparkling-wine tradition, while the two Vermouth di Torino Superiore expressions renew the house’s historical involvement with Piedmontese aromatized wine.

Alta Langa

The Alta Langa production area occupies hills in the provinces of Asti, Alessandria and Cuneo, on the right bank of the Tanaro. Pinot Nero and Chardonnay vineyards must be planted on hills at no less than 250 metres above sea level; damp, level valley-floor sites are excluded. The prescribed soils are marly and calcareous-clayey, with moderate fertility.

The upper Langhe have an Apennine climate with influences from the Po Valley. Summers are generally cooler and windier than in the lower Langhe. Winters are cold in the valleys but milder on the hills, while differences in solar exposure frequently cause temperature inversions.

The annual precipitation pattern has its principal minimum in summer and a secondary minimum in winter, with the absolute maximum in autumn; spring rainfall is highly variable. Average precipitation during the three summer months is approximately 100–150 mm and is often concentrated in a small number of violent storms. Between May and July, the local wind known as the marin can bring cooler air to higher elevations. Snow can occasionally fall even at low altitude in Alta Langa and may remain on the ground for more than 30 days.

Gavi DOCG base-wine area

The Gavi DOCG used as the principal base of the Calissano vermouths comes from southern Alessandria, close to the Ligurian Apennines. Deep valleys, proximity to the sea and the area’s microclimate combine the structure associated with the Po Plain with savoury character attributed to salt-bearing air currents.

Langhe Nebbiolo base-wine area

Nebbiolo for the red vermouth matures on hills near Alba, within the viticultural landscapes of the Astigiano and Albese Langhe. It provides a youthful expression of Nebbiolo that joins Gavi DOCG in the red vermouth base.

Piedmontese botanicals

A portion of the herbs used for the vermouths is cultivated in the Piedmontese Alps at elevations above 1,000 metres. Other selected botanicals are also cultivated and harvested elsewhere in Piemonte.

Alta Langa vineyards supplying Pinot Nero and Chardonnay are governed by a minimum planting density of 4,000 vines per hectare. They must be located on hills at elevations of at least 250 metres; damp, flat valley-floor land is excluded. The prescribed soils are marly and calcareous-clayey with moderate fertility.

For vermouth production, some of the selected herbs and spices are cultivated and harvested in Piemonte, including botanicals grown above 1,000 metres in the Piedmontese Alps. Artemisia has the central role in both botanical selections. The 2017 Vermouth di Torino production code requires the base wine and aromatic herbs to be of Piedmontese origin.

Traditional-method sparkling wine

Calissano’s sparkling-wine tradition began with Duca d’Alba Metodo Classico at the end of the nineteenth century. The present Alta Langa DOCG is made from Pinot Nero and Chardonnay and follows the traditional method. The denomination permits the varieties either individually or in varying proportions, with white or rosé styles and brut or pas dosé dosage categories. Its production rules require at least 30 months of maturation on the lees; Calissano’s current expression is pas dosé.

Vermouth production

The historical method behind Vermouth di Torino adds herbal and spice essences to wine and brings the finished drink to approximately 18% alcohol, originally as a means of preservation. Under the production code introduced in March 2017, the base wine and aromatic herbs must originate in Piemonte.

Wine represents more than 75% of the volume in both Calissano recipes. The white vermouth uses Gavi DOCG as its sole wine base, together with alcohol, sugar, water and a selection of 12 herb and spice species. Artemisia is the principal botanical; the identified spice components include Enula Campana, Curcuma, Zedoaria and Cardamomo.

The red vermouth is based predominantly on Gavi DOCG with Langhe Nebbiolo DOC. Its 14-species herb-and-spice selection is likewise led by Artemisia and includes bitter orange, grapefruit, thyme, bay and vanilla components. Alcohol, sugar and water complete the preparation. Both vermouths reach 18% alcohol by volume.