Making vermouth cool again

Roberto Bava owner of Cocchi is known for leading a movement to revive vermouth, transforming it from a product once considered extinct into a contemporary, trendy drink favoured by a new generation of bartenders.

Roberto Bava is head of his family-owned Giulio Cocchi winery, a boutique house of premium sparkling wines, Italian vermouth, and aperitifs situated in Asti, in Italy's Piemonte wine region.

He is best known for bringing back the "di Torino" appellation for authentic premium vermouth, sparking the industry to push for the European IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) status for the product. Since 2019, Roberto has been President of the Vermouth di Torino Consortium of Producers, which oversees and regulates this category.

He sought to relaunch a high-quality product that is as good as the traditional, original versions of the past, imprinted with the Torino label, where it all began.

Today, Roberto continues to be an advocate for the Italian wine and aperitivo culture around the world. Thanks to his efforts in seeking authenticity, he has managed to save and relaunch obsolete products like Barolo Chinato, an aromatised wine produced with Barolo DOCG, and enriched with cinchona calisaya bark, rhubarb and gentian root, and cardamom seeds. Roberto believes this wine is the perfect companion to dark chocolate. Giulo Cocchi is also known for another aromatised wine – Cocchi Americano. Created in 1891, it has been produced without interruption according to the original recipe.

Together with his brothers and family, he also runs the Bava Winery, which produces both classic and innovative wines in the Barolo and Asti areas. In another chapter of his life, Roberto served as national president of the Italian Chocolate Society to promote the origins and quality of chocolate. He shares more about his journey with vermouth and the Italian drinking culture.

How did your passion for vermouth come about?