The first edition of the International Conference on the History of the Arts will be held in Turin on 24 and 25 February. Vermouth Show, a 360° event dedicated to aromatized wine born right in the Savoy capital, in front of the Royal Palace, in 1786, thanks to the genius of Anthony Benedict Carpano.

At the Salone, Piedmontese excellence will be told in all its facets by those who have contributed to making it great in Italy and in the world: the best producers of the territory and beyond will exhibit all their interpretations of vermouth. From the classic red, dry and white, to exotic vermouths, produced with herbs, spices, flowers, roots, barks and seeds not common here in Italy. 

But, let's get to the details. What will be the venue? How will the program unfold? Why was Turin chosen as the venue for the event??

THE HEADQUARTERS

The first Vermouth Show will be held at the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento, located in Carlo Alberto Square, between Piazza Carlina and Piazza Castello. In addition to its central position in the city, the location was chosen for the majesty of the rooms and for the cultural importance it holds in the city. Inside it houses, among other things, the reconstruction of the studio of Camillo Benso Count of Cavour, one of the personalities who from the beginning contributed to increasing the popularity of vermouth in Turin and beyond. Hosted in Palazzo Carignano, the Museum declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site It was founded in 1878 and is the largest exhibition space in Italian history, as well as the only museum that can boast the title of national in the entire country. Used in recent years to host private and public events, it still houses the Aula della Camera Italiana, which from 1861 to 1865 it was the seat of the First Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy.

THE PROGRAM

The leading role at the aperitif, the versatility in mixing, the many variations and the pairing with table products: from coffee to cheese and from pastries to chocolate. The Vermouth Show program (February 24-25) will be very rich and will see producers, chefs, bartenders and experts in the field under the spotlight. Those who enter the Museum of the Risorgimento you will be literally transported among the scents and botanicals that have made this product famous in the world, in its pure form, in mixed drinks and at aperitif time.

It will be possible to participate in tasting and mixing workshops, interactive and in-depth, as well as meet the producers in person, to whom you can ask all the curiosities of this incredible product. Which wine is used? And which spices? How is the amber color obtained? 

THE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF TURIN

The link between vermouth and Turin has roots in the past. Vermouth was born in Turin and Turin is vermouth. The first Salon entirely dedicated to this Piedmontese excellence could only be born in the Savoy capital, where this product was developed 238 years ago. 

From the very beginning, there were illustrious lovers of this drink in Turin: from King Vittorio Amedeo III, who introduced it to the royal family of Savoy, to Count Camillo Benso of Cavour and to Giuseppe Verdi, frequenters of the shop that Antonio Benedetto Carpano, the inventor of modern vermouth, had opened in Piazza Castello. If vermouth is known today in Italy and abroad, much of the credit is due to these prominent personalities who, from the very beginning, appreciated and recommended it.

The bond with the city was consolidated in 2015 with the installation, near the Turin Porta Susa station, in the roundabout where Via Cernaia begins, of an imposing statue in which the taste of vermouth is represented, in a single and immediate snapshot: one point of sweet and half of bitter. In the city, aromatized wine does not only have this connection. Since 2019, the Piedmontese capital has also hosted the headquarters of the Consorzio del Vermouth di Torino, an organization that aims to protect and promote this geographical indication in Italy and abroad and which currently has 35 members. 

The Salone that is born today is the closing of the circle. The goal is to bring into the spotlight a symbol that has never gone out of fashion and that today deserves even more attention.