Difference between Martini and Cinzano vermouths

Vermouth is a fortified flavored wine made with the addition of herbs and spices. The composition of plant components necessarily includes wormwood. Italy is considered the birthplace of vermouth, although it is known that ancient Romans drank vinum absianthianum (lat. “wormwood wine”) to stimulate appetite. The main consumers of the herbal tart drink are Spain, Italy and France, but 2020 has shown an increase in interest in vermouth in Russia, which is caused by the increased popularity of cocktails. The most famous brands in the country are Martini and Cinzano. Next, let’s see what the difference is between them.

Historical information

For some unknown reason, many Russians perceive Cinzano as a cheaper analogue or even a clone of Martini. In fact, the history of the brand began in 1757, when two brothers, Giovanni Giacomo and Carl Stefano Cinzano, opened a confectionery business in Turin. They used various spices and herbs to make marmalade and pralines. Vermouth Rosso brothers created on the basis of aromatic plants from the Italian Alps in the process of experimenting with recipes for sweet wines. It is known that the drink includes 35 components, including rosemary, marjoram and yarrow, but the manufacturer keeps the full composition a secret.

In 1898, the company began to actively promote its brand using all the means at its disposal. Vermouth advertising was placed on posters, postcards and magazines, and illustrations for slogans were created by famous artists of that time. Starting in the 1960s, for over twenty years, the brand’s popularity grew thanks to creative commercials that enjoyed great success with the audience. In 2017, the brand solemnly celebrated its 260th anniversary.

The company of Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi appeared a hundred years after Cinzano. In 1863, the partners created their Rosso vermouth. The basis was the wine from the Italian Trebbiano grapes and the Sicilian Cataratto, which the herbalist Rossi set up on a carefully selected combination of plants. A year later, the drink received its first gold award, and by the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the brand became a bestseller in Italy, the USA and South America. Martini factories opened all over the world, but a mixture of aromatic herbs for vermouth was brought to the enterprises from Italy.

Only a few ingredients of the Martini recipe are known. The manufacturer mentions fruits, tree bark, exotic spices and wormwood. But even knowing the detailed formula, it is extremely difficult to recreate the original vermouth. Soviet specialists once tried to establish the production of aromatic wines in the USSR and even visited the Martini enterprises in Paris, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Winemakers concluded that the secret of Italian vermouth lies primarily in the characteristics of alpine herbs and local grapes.

Differences between “Martini” and “Cinzano”

Vermouth producers Martini and Chinzano have been competing with each other for several centuries. Twenty years after the appearance of Martini, the brands equaled in terms of sales and popularity, and since then the situation has changed little. The Martini brand has advanced on the world market much faster than its rival and, in addition, has gained a reputation as an exquisite drink for noble gentlemen.

The secret of success lay in the division of roles. Alessandro Martini was an experienced sales agent, and Luigi Rossi was a brilliant winemaker. It was Alessandro who came up with the idea to organize overseas promotional tours and give presentations to city celebrities and local nobility. As a result, the enterprising Martini managed to become a supplier of vermouth to the royal courts of Great Britain, Denmark, Portugal, Austria and even Japan, which already created a certain reputation for the drink.

The basis of vermouths is the same – wine from Piedmontese grapes, the difference is only in plant components. It is impossible to compare the composition of the wines in detail due to the secrecy of the recipe. The number of components in vermouth reaches forty or more types of herbs and spices, including mint, cinnamon, bay leaf, orange peel, cardamom and ginger. Experts suggest that Martini contains absinthe extract, which distinguishes it from Cinzano, where this ingredient is not used.

Both brands have a lot of fans who choose the brand without hesitation, but there are certain differences:

• the aroma of Cinzano contains pronounced wormwood notes, the smell of Martini is dominated by sweet roots and spices;
• the taste of “Cinzano” is more bitter and may seem harsh;
• “Martini” shows the properties of “wormwood wine” in the aftertaste, bitter herbal shades become more noticeable at the finish.

In general, vermouths are equal in properties and quality, so preferences depend on personal taste. The cost of Martini is an order of magnitude higher, but there are reasons for this. From the first days of its existence, the company has focused on brand positioning. The manufacturer continues to invest in promotion and includes advertising costs in the price of its products. The owners of Cinzano do not consider it necessary to spend a lot of money on promotion, so they can afford to sell vermouth cheaper than competitors.