Alcohol: 17,5%
Grape(s): Ugni Blanc
Localization: Chambéry, Savoy, France
Tasting Notes: Sweet and aromatic, our Vermouth de Chambéry is a favorite for all gourmands and remains a timeless symbol of elegance. It has clear brilliant color and a complex nose with aromas of freshly-picked Alpine botanicals, followed by camphor and then citrus notes. A pleasant harmony of botanical notes develops on the palate in a silky texture. To complete the impression, the aromas of broom and elderflower in this white vermouth give way to notes of fresh almond and peach.
Notes: Red, white or dry, our Vermouth de Chambéry has become the secret weapon of bartenders across the world who are looking for an original touch to their cocktails. More complex and sweeter than the "Dry", our French white vermouth contains some 32 plants and spices: hibiscus, basil, cinnamon as well as Artemesia and gentian from the Alps are just some of them! You can enjoy this Dolin white vermouth on the rocks or add a fruit liqueur in the tradition of the "Chambery-cassis", which was one of Hemmingway's favorites. Why not try Dolin white vermouth in a cocktail where it will add a tangy note. The first white vermouth was created in Savoie in 1881
Drinks pairing: You can enjoy this Dolin dry vermouth as an aperitif, neat or on the rocks, or make the following cocktails recipes:
BAMBOO cocktail: 30ml Dolin dry vermouth, 30ml Xérès Fino, 1 dash orange bitters, 1 dash aromatic bitters. Pour the vermouth, sherry and bitters into a mixing glass filled with ice. Mix. Pour into a chilled coupette glass and garnish with an olive.
SPRITZ DE CHAMBÉRY: 40ml Dolin white vermouth, 20ml Dolin dry vermouth, 10ml Pontiane, 40ml tonic water. Pour the vermouth and gentian into an ice-filled wine glass. Mix. Top up with tonic water. Garnish with a lemon slice.
BRONX: 20ml Dolin red vermouth, 20ml Dolin dry vermouth, 40ml Greenall’s gin, 20ml orange juice, (3 dashes aromatic bitters). Pour the vermouth, gin, and orange juice into a cocktail shaker base filled with ice and shake. Strain over ice in a coupette glass. Garnish with orange zest.
The Domain: The story of Dolin reads like a novel. From Joseph Chavasse to the Sevez family and including, of course, the famous Marie Dolin, meet the personalities who have forged the history of our distillery and learn of the many challenges they had to overcome to bring you these famous drinks from Chambery today.
1814 ONCE UPON A TIME IN SAVOY… Joseph Chavasse was 24 years old when he moved to Les Echelles. He had learned the art of confectionery-making in Grenoble from Joseph Salviani, whose daughter he married. Confectionery-making is one method for preserving fruit aromas, but Joseph had a greater affinity for another: distillation. Inspired by the liquors produced by the monks at the nearby Grande Chartreuse monastery, he laid the foundation stone of his distillery. Hard-working and inventive, he had soon filled his notebook with various recipes, the fruit of his research and experiments.
1821 IDEAS APLENTY: Joseph Chavasse produced many liquors made with the Alpine plants. Inquisitive by nature, he also liked to travel and, as it turned out, the new coach service between Chambery and Turin passed right through Les Echelles. In Turin, Joseph saw that the liquor-makers were developing new beverages that appealed to the local population. The Turin liquor-makers called them "vermouth". Impressed by these beverages, Joseph decided to create his own vermouth recipe. He did not yet know that his distillery would become famous for it.
1840 A FAMILY AFFAIR: After Joseph Chavasse’s death, his daughter Marie married a Chambéry local, Louis-Ferdinand Dolin. The latter took a keen interest in the distillery, which he bought in 1852. He gave it his name associated with that of its flagship product: "Vermouth Dolin". At the time, Vermouth was becoming increasingly popular in Paris, where this "stimulating beverage" was much appreciated, so much so that other Savoyard distilleries attempted to create their own versions. Awards and certificates started pouring in ...
1870 MARIE THE BOLD! When Ferdinand Dolin died in 1869, his wife Marie took control of the company. She would give it international acclaim. Marie Dolin was also convinced of the great potential of the vermouth and she thought big! In 1876, she crossed the Atlantic to present her “Vermouth de Chambéry” at the World Fair in Philadelphia. And she obtained a gold medal for it! This was the consecration, an unprecedented recognition for Dolin’s vermouth, and it would be followed by a raft of other medals...
1910 THE TURNING POINT Vermouth Dolin was at the height of its popularity and being exported to England and the United States, but the dark shadow of the First World War was looming on the horizon and it would bring these halcyon days to an end... In 1919, the Dolin family fell victim to the ravages of the war and was mourning premature deaths in the family. The distillery was sold to family friends, the brothers Charles and Joseph Sevez, respected grocers in Chambéry. At the start of the Roaring Twenties, the brothers would give the company a new lease of life...
1960 MEANWHILE, IN NEW YORK… As well as the white and the red Vermouths, still very popular in the United States, The Dolin range included dry vermouth, a less sweet version particularly suitable for the cocktails that were becoming all the rage on the other side of the Atlantic. According to Pierre Sevez, the Chambéry vermouth "so little known in the Savoie region, is a messenger which carries the name of its birthplace far".
1980 WHITE GOLD CREATES A NEW DEMAND This was at a time when ski resorts were popping up throughout the Alps. Winter sports became extremely popular and the restaurateurs would have the skiers try the authentic mountain liquors with preserved flavors offered by Dolin. Bernard Sevez, who succeeded Pierre, recruited Ariane Aimard in 1980. Ariane, who is still the guarantor of Dolin savoir-faire today, took over the technical management from Jean-Louis and was joined a few years later by Jean-Luc Scapolan on the general management side.
2000 DOLIN AROUND THE WORLD In 2001, Jean-Luc Scapolan took over the management of the company, succeeding his brother-in-law. Passionate about the business, he continued to focus on the products that had been the bright stars in Dolin’s history. His hard work and tenacity were rewarded. The growth of exports outside Europe proved that he had taken the right decisions. By the time he retired, the 50 countries where Dolin was distributed were driving the business’s exceptional growth.
