Our Story
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Martini is more than the vermouth. It's the story of two men with a vision. Of a fertile land where expert winemaking meets wild botanicals. And of a legacy of craftsmanship and expertise in every bottle.
A CREATIVE
SPARK
They made an unlikely duo: a clever entrepreneur and a master herbalist. But when Alessandro Martini and Luigi Rossi took over the National Wine & Spirits Distillery in a small village near Turin, magic happened.
It was in 1863 that Martini's enterprising spirit and Rossi's creative genius were galvanised into a vermouth that has endured for more than 160 years: the inimitable MARTINI Rosso.
From the aromatic botanicals of the famous vermouth to the golden effervescence of the Asti wines, MARTINI's influence has spanned continents and decades. Yet its essence will always be steadfastly rooted in the Piedmont region.
A SINGULAR
CRAFT
The art of blending at MARTINI is a skill trusted to a select few, passed down from master to master through eight generations.
It falls to Giuseppe 'Beppe' Musso, our Master Blender, and Ivano Tonutti, Master Herbalist, to continue the legacy of the original Master Blender, Luigi Rossi. Part of the MARTINI family since 1994, Beppe selects the wines and guides the delicate blending process for each expression, alongside Ivano, who samples more than 500 botanicals in a year to ensure only the highest quality ingredients are used in the making of MARTINI. Only Beppe and Ivano know the secret recipes, which are closely guarded under lock and key.
MARTINI's Asti is brought to life by Sparkling Wine Master Blender Livio Prandi. Working with many of the 300 small growers of the Asti region – collectively known as the Conferenti – he continues MARTINI's longstanding and loyal devotion to the artisans of the region. The result is a selection of sparkling wines that distil tradition and modernity into a true celebration of the Bianco Moscato grape.
A PERFECT
BLEND
Whether it's the limited editions that celebrate our history or the time-honoured classics loved by bartenders the world over, every bottle of MARTINI starts with the wines, carefully selected from only the best harvests.
For our vermouth, we blend crisp white wines, including the Trebbiano of Emilia Romagna and the Cataratto of Sicily, together with carefully formulated combinations of aromatic fruit, barks, exotic spices and herbs, such as Artemisia – picked from the nearby fields of Pancalieri – to create MARTINI's sought-after vermouths.
Our Piedmont setting also puts us close to the Asti region, where we have been using Bianco Moscato grapes to make Asti Spumante since our early beginnings. Our fine vintage Prosecco is made in Pessione with 100% Glera grapes grown in Veneto. In fact, those delicately balanced golden bubbles are as synonymous with the MARTINI heritage as our perfectly blended vermouth.
A CHERISHED
HOME
The location selected to produce MARTINI was no lucky accident. The tiny village of Pessione was carefully chosen for its proximity to the winemakers of Piedmont, the botanical-rich foothills of the Alps, the vermouth trade of Turin and the port of Genoa.
Established on the Turin-Asti-Genoa train line – between the wine-producing Monferrato hills and Genoa, gateway to international markets – MARTINI would go on to travel the world from this tiny spot. Yet the company has always cleaved hard to its roots, even developing a community programme to support the people of the village.
Today visitors from around the globe come back to Pessione to explore the heritage of its most famous export. Home to Casa Martini, the Wine Museum and the Mondo Martini Gallery, this little rural spot is a magnet for the world's best bartenders, wine enthusiasts and cocktail lovers, and the scene of some of MARTINI's most exciting cultural moments.
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Casa Martini
The original home of MARTINI and once the home of Luigi Rossi himself, CASA MARTINI is steeped in history and has hospitality at its heart.
OUR PRODUCT
From scarlet-hued vermouth to effervescent sparkling wines, MARTINI® has a long tradition of making the finest products, celebrated the world over.