While I was studying in Dijon, I lived with a fantastic family–and every afternoon, when I’d come home from a day of struggling with my French, I’d find M. Bertinotti by the pool with little bowls of snacks and an aperitif waiting for me. Most afternoons began with a glass of Vermouth over ice, and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since. I like the sweeter blanc, sometimes with a twist of lemon; it’s essentially wine that has been fortified and aromatized with dozens of herbs and plants. I think the Bertinottis usually served Cinzano or Martini & Rossi Bianco, but I just came across this bottle of Dolin and will admit that I chose it over the others solely because I think the bottle is completely beautiful (though I did learn that they’ve been making Vermouth since the 1820s and earned the Chambéry region the only French AOC for Vermouth in the 1930s).