Tasting: 2 Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo from Martini & Rossi (Floreale, Vibrante)

It’s fun to imagine, here in the midst of 2024’s Dry January, what drinkers likely would have thought a decade ago if you had described to them the breadth of the non-alcoholic drinks market as it exists today. Surely, it would have been difficult to believe the diversity that now exists in a once-derided category like non-alcoholic beer, or the rapid improvement in that segment’s quality. They probably would have scoffed at the growing popularity of non-alcoholic wine, spirits replacements or mocktail culture. But it’s a testament to how quickly we can get used to all sorts of new ideas, whether we’re talking about non-alcoholic amaro or non-alcoholic aperitivo. And if you’re going to make your take on non-alcoholic spritz, you’re certainly going to need the latter.

Enter, the international alcohol wonks at Martini & Rossi, best known as producers of affordable vermouth. They of course produce a wide range of standard vermouth, upscale aromatized wine and bitter, Italian-style aperitivo, in addition to various styles of sparkling wine. But in addition, they also are dipping a toe into the NA side of the equation with a new line of non-alcoholic aperitivo available in both blonde and orange variations. These are intended for use in wholly non-alcoholic versions of the spritz, among other things, though the back of each bottle keeps things rather more simple, merely suggesting that they be mixed with tonic at a 50/50 ratio.

Curious as to how well these products might manage to evoke similar, traditional vermouth or aperitivo, I thought I would give them a taste in time for this year’s Dry January.

Martini & Rossi Floreale Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo

Floreale is the lighter and more unassuming of these two brands, in comparison with the more dramatic (and recognizable, in terms of what it’s replacing) orange-hued Vibrante. This product is made with de-alcoholized wine, taking “a secret blend of white grapes through reverse osmosis and naturally infused with a selection of sustainably sourced botanicals.” The company doesn’t give many details on what is involved in the flavoring of Floreale, beyond “artemisia and Roman chamomile.”

On the nose, this one threw me for a bit of a loop at first. It’s syrupy sweet, suggesting elderflower and the chamomile, but there’s a toasty quality that almost evokes yeast/bread dough, infused with herbs. I suspect that this was just my confused brain grasping for some kind of comparison, because on the palate this isn’t a note that comes to mind–rather, Floreale is surprisingly juicy, with significant sweetness and moderate corresponding bitterness. I’m getting a lot of pear-like fruitiness, along with citrus, anise, caraway and resinous green tones. The floral quality is fairly strong, and the bitterness starts mild and then grows modestly with each sip.

Granted, this isn’t likely something I’d ever be consuming neat, because mixing is where it really starts to shine. With tonic, the Floreale is more subtle than the Vibrante, merging naturally with the sweet-and-bitter quinine, contributing gentle honeyed tones and floral impressions. I’m more naturally drawn to the Vibrante in terms of style, but this makes a perfectly pleasant beverage with tonic. The suggested spritz, meanwhile, combines Floreale, apple juice and soda water.

Martini & Rossi Vibrante Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo

In comparison with the Floreale, it’s significantly easier to look at the Vibrante and immediately see that this is meant to be a go-to replacement for other classic, red/orange Italian bitter aperitivo such as Aperol, and to a lesser extent Campari. This one is made with artemisia and bergamot, according to the company, and its suggested spritz combines Vibrante with grapefruit juice and soda water.

On the nose, the Vibrante is comfortably familiar–citrus pith and bitter herbs, with hints of juicier raspberry. On the palate, this is actually pretty fresh and floral as well–the citrus is there, but it’s certainly not as pronounced as it is in the likes of Aperol. This is fairly gentle all around, with subdued bitterness and attractive floral flavors, and flashes of juicy red berries. The lightly tart, zingy quality of citric acid is more noticeable here as well. Again, it’s not the kind of product I’d be drinking neat under normal circumstances, but instead using for mixed drinks and cocktails.

And in that context, with tonic water, the Vibrante is especially tasty. Accentuated by bright citrus and modest sweetness, this is a perfectly pleasant non-alcoholic spritz alternative that I would actually be happy to drink. Certainly, if I was committing to a long period of abstaining from alcohol, I would consider this a valuable product to have in my playbook.

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.