Bèrto
Situated in Castelnuovo Don Bosco in Piedmont, the Distilleria Quaglia was purchased in 1906 by the great-grandfather of the current distillery director, Carlo Quaglia. A succession of ancestors passing historical and traditional knowledge of distillation, liqueur, and vermouth production from one generation to the next brings us to present day. Our fortunate introduction to Carlo and his masterful artisanship came from brothers Alessandro and Gian Natale Fantino, to whom they entrust the production of their Barolo Chinato with staggering results.
The ambition of the Bertò line is to preserve a multitude of traditional liqueurs and vermouths from Piedmont. We first began importing their two sweet vermouths, the red (Ross da Travaj) and white (Aperitiv dla Traddission), which are standard-bearers of traditional vermouth di Torino and express typical Italian craftsmanship. To make their sweet vermouths, Carlo infuses a variety of local, home-grown, and carefully sourced herbs and spices for two months until gently pressing them off so not to extract vegetal qualities that could upset their subtle aromas. The resulting infusion, along with sugar and alcohol, is added to a base of dry Italian wines and ages for a minimum of one month before bottling. The vision speaks for itself, resulting in Piemontese vermouths that can be enjoyed on their own, perhaps in a tumbler with ice and a simple curl of orange peel.
Since this time, we have expanded our imports of their products and now work with a fragrant dry vermouth, three liqueurs (Aperitivo, Bitter, Fernet), and our first spirit import, an aromatic dry Gin. Among the myriad cocktails that can be mixed with these ingredients, perhaps the one we were most excited about was the Bèrto Negroni—so much so we introduced a pre-batched bottling (highly anticipated by the entire KLWM staff) to the collection.
Situated in Castelnuovo Don Bosco in Piedmont, the Distilleria Quaglia was purchased in 1906 by the great-grandfather of the current distillery director, Carlo Quaglia. A succession of ancestors passing historical and traditional knowledge of distillation, liqueur, and vermouth production from one generation to the next brings us to present day. Our fortunate introduction to Carlo and his masterful artisanship came from brothers Alessandro and Gian Natale Fantino, to whom they entrust the production of their Barolo Chinato with staggering results.
The ambition of the Bertò line is to preserve a multitude of traditional liqueurs and vermouths from Piedmont. We first began importing their two sweet vermouths, the red (Ross da Travaj) and white (Aperitiv dla Traddission), which are standard-bearers of traditional vermouth di Torino and express typical Italian craftsmanship. To make their sweet vermouths, Carlo infuses a variety of local, home-grown, and carefully sourced herbs and spices for two months until gently pressing them off so not to extract vegetal qualities that could upset their subtle aromas. The resulting infusion, along with sugar and alcohol, is added to a base of dry Italian wines and ages for a minimum of one month before bottling. The vision speaks for itself, resulting in Piemontese vermouths that can be enjoyed on their own, perhaps in a tumbler with ice and a simple curl of orange peel.
Since this time, we have expanded our imports of their products and now work with a fragrant dry vermouth, three liqueurs (Aperitivo, Bitter, Fernet), and our first spirit import, an aromatic dry Gin. Among the myriad cocktails that can be mixed with these ingredients, perhaps the one we were most excited about was the Bèrto Negroni—so much so we introduced a pre-batched bottling (highly anticipated by the entire KLWM staff) to the collection.
Technical Information
| Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aperitiv dla Tradission (White Vermouth) |
Arneis, Cortese, Trebbiano, Moscato, herbs and spices (wormwood, sour orange, gentian, cardamom, vanilla, coriander, mint, mace, hops, thyme, marjoram, lemon, cinnamon, clove, rhubarb, angelica) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Ross da Travaj (Red Vermouth) |
Arneis, Cortese, Trebbiano, Barbera, herbs and spices (wormwood, sour orange, gentian, cardamom, vanilla, coriander, mint, mace, hops, thyme, marjoram, lemon, cinnamon, clove, rhubarb, angelica) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Vermouth Dry “Extra Secco” |
Trebbiano, Malvasia Bianca, Chardonnay, herbs and spices (Wormwood, dittany, marjoram, ginger, lemon, cardamom, tarragon, lavender) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Apertivo “Liquore Arancio e Genziana” |
Bitter orange, gentian, ginger, rhubarb | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Bitter “Liquore Amaro” |
Gentian, sweet orange, rhubarb, wormwood, rose petal, grapefruit | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Fernet |
Cardamom, gentian, mint, rhubarb, clove, wormwood, green anise, aloe, licorice, marjoram, nutmeg | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Distilled Dry Gin |
Juniper, iris root, wormwood, rosemary, laurel | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Negroni |
Equal parts Ross da Travaj, Bitter, and Dry Gin | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| * "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres | ||||
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• Base wines are sourced from Italy
• Herbs, spices and fruit are sourced mainly in Piedmont, if not from the estate’s own farm
• For the vermouths, herbs, fruit, and spices infuse in a 60% ABV mixture of alcohol and water in stainless steel tank for minimum 60 days
• The infusion is gently pressed and added to the base wines with sugar and alcohol and left to age a minimum of one month before bottling
Bèrto Aperitiv dla Tradission (White Vermouth):
• Made in accordance with a historic Quaglia family recipe which dates back to 1930
• Residual sugar: 140 g/L
• 17% ABV
Bèrto Ross da Travaj (Red Vermouth):
• Made in accordance with a historic Quaglia family recipe which dates back to 1930
• Residual sugar: 200 g/L
• 17% ABV
• A small amount of Barbera d'Asti provides red color and adds acidity and body
Vermouth Dry “Extra Secco”:
• Residual sugar: 20 g/L
• 19% ABV
Aperitivo:
• Infusion with all ingredients lasts at least 3 weeks, then aging lasts 3 more weeks minimum, all in stainless steel tanks
• Residual sugar: 250 g/L
• 15% ABV
Bitter:
• Infusion with all ingredients lasts at least 3 weeks, then aging lasts 3 more weeks minimum, all in stainless steel tanks
• Residual sugar: 250 g/L
• 25% ABV
Fernet:
• Made in accordance with a historic Quaglia family recipe which dates back to the early 1900s
• Infusion with all ingredients lasts at least 3 weeks, then aging lasts 3 more weeks minimum, all in stainless steel tanks
• For each batch, a fresh infusion of herbs, flowers, and spices is made, then added to some of the older, original infusion (“the mother”) to ensure complexity and consistency in quality
• Residual sugar: 40 g/L
• 40% ABV
Distilled Dry Gin:
• Made from the separate distillation of 5 botanicals in a pot still
• Each botanical macerates for 48 hours at 122° F, then distillation starts at 172° F
• Distillates are then blended to reach the desired freshness, balance and depth
• Residual sugar: 0 g/L
• 43% ABV
Negroni:
• Made from equal parts Bertò Ross da Travaj, Bitter, and Dry Gin
• Partially aged in barrel
• Herbs, spices and fruit are sourced mainly in Piedmont, if not from the estate’s own farm
• For the vermouths, herbs, fruit, and spices infuse in a 60% ABV mixture of alcohol and water in stainless steel tank for minimum 60 days
• The infusion is gently pressed and added to the base wines with sugar and alcohol and left to age a minimum of one month before bottling
Bèrto Aperitiv dla Tradission (White Vermouth):
• Made in accordance with a historic Quaglia family recipe which dates back to 1930
• Residual sugar: 140 g/L
• 17% ABV
Bèrto Ross da Travaj (Red Vermouth):
• Made in accordance with a historic Quaglia family recipe which dates back to 1930
• Residual sugar: 200 g/L
• 17% ABV
• A small amount of Barbera d'Asti provides red color and adds acidity and body
Vermouth Dry “Extra Secco”:
• Residual sugar: 20 g/L
• 19% ABV
Aperitivo:
• Infusion with all ingredients lasts at least 3 weeks, then aging lasts 3 more weeks minimum, all in stainless steel tanks
• Residual sugar: 250 g/L
• 15% ABV
Bitter:
• Infusion with all ingredients lasts at least 3 weeks, then aging lasts 3 more weeks minimum, all in stainless steel tanks
• Residual sugar: 250 g/L
• 25% ABV
Fernet:
• Made in accordance with a historic Quaglia family recipe which dates back to the early 1900s
• Infusion with all ingredients lasts at least 3 weeks, then aging lasts 3 more weeks minimum, all in stainless steel tanks
• For each batch, a fresh infusion of herbs, flowers, and spices is made, then added to some of the older, original infusion (“the mother”) to ensure complexity and consistency in quality
• Residual sugar: 40 g/L
• 40% ABV
Distilled Dry Gin:
• Made from the separate distillation of 5 botanicals in a pot still
• Each botanical macerates for 48 hours at 122° F, then distillation starts at 172° F
• Distillates are then blended to reach the desired freshness, balance and depth
• Residual sugar: 0 g/L
• 43% ABV
Negroni:
• Made from equal parts Bertò Ross da Travaj, Bitter, and Dry Gin
• Partially aged in barrel
General Information
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Piedmont
- Appellation(s)
- Vermouth di Torino
- Producer
- Carlo Quaglia
- Founded
- 1890
- Farming
- N/A
