8 Tasty Aperitif Wines

The sweet and bitter notes of aperitif wines are perfect for waking up an appetite on a hot summer evening, Tara Q. Thomas writes in Gourmet. She ranks her favorite "elixirs of summer":

• Vya Extra Dry Vermouth: Pine, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sandalwood flavors may be bitter, but sparkling water and a lime slice make it "a bracingly refreshing cocktail."
• Lillet Blanc: Orange, honeysuckle, and quinine notes mix well with a seafood platter that "should your appetite wake up mid-glass."

• Carpano Antica Formula: Bittersweet notes like licorice, clove, and orange blend with "its fruity red-wine base."
• Perucchi Vermouth: New to the US, its "silky and golden" flavors start off sweet and fade "into a Sherry-like dryness."
• Dolin & Cie Dry Vermouth: Best over ice with an orange slice. "Breathe in the notes of sweet orange, quinine, and hyssop (and however many of the other 50-odd secret ingredients you might be able to tease out)."

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