Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry

Late this winter, I was reading an archive from the San Francisco Chronicle by Jon Bonne regarding cocktails. Having spent several years in SF, including my period of transition at the California Culinary Academy, cooking at restaurant Socca and retailing at the Wine Club, I regularly keep in touch with the goings on of The City. The article heralded the availability of Dolin de Chambery vermouth. I've never seen it or heard of it, but apparently it had been popular in the past and was making a comeback.

As it was not being distributed in New Jersey and certainly not behind the iron curtain of Berlinsylvania, I made a point of stopping by one of my favorite wine stores after a Manhattan wine tasting event to bring home the Dolin.

For a martini, I like to use an elegant - less astringent, yet aromatic gin like Plymouth from England or the Dutch style Boomsma. I found the Dolin dry white vermouth to be of superior quality to the usual suspects. Dolin de Chambery comes from the Savoie region of eastern France, adjacent to the Alps and where better to source fine Alpine botanicals, the prime flavoring accent in vermouth.

The wine aspect was crisp and flavorfully smooth and the herb and botanical part offered delicate complexity that allows it to be a delicious drink on its own, served on the rocks. As part of a martini, used in a more generous portion, the cocktail was fabulous.

Over the spring while attending several wine tastings for the trade, I made a point of having a post-tasting martini at various NYC restaurants to see how Dolin was being used. I always asked the bartender if they had Dolin when ordering and the answer was usually - yes. This vermouth has really overtaken the city like few products I've seen. It seems like overnight it's replaced the commercial vermouths like the pod people replaced humans as in the 50's sci-fi movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

The NYC bartenders seemed quite pleased too at this change of the guard. One was very generous in offering samples of the Dolin Blanc which is slightly off dry and with a softer texture similar to Lillet. The Rouge, was less sticky sweet than commercial varieties and possessed a pleasant, herbal quality which should improve a Manhattan cocktail and is enjoying quite a comeback as a delicious aperitif.

While it is still not available anywhere near my home of Philadelphia, I gladly make arrangements to pick up a bottle on occasion for personal use. It's one of those products that is definitely worth the extra effort to hunt down.