Baldoria Wild Plum Vermouth

Description

Baldoria Wild Plum Vermouth is an 18% ABV Italian vermouth built on a Chardonnay wine base and infused with a rare Alpine plum variety (750ml). What sets this bottling apart is its central ingredient: a nearly extinct wild plum native to the Maritime Alps, sourced through a collaboration with the Alpine Maritime Society aimed at preserving the fruit species.

Quick Facts: ABV: 18% | Origin: Piedmont, Italy | Style: Botanical Vermouth | Producer: Baldoria, Boves (Province of Cuneo)

Production & Heritage

Baldoria produces this vermouth in Boves, a small town in the Piedmontese province of Cuneo, at the foot of the Maritime Alps. Production begins with separate macerations of individual botanicals including two species of wormwood (artemisia vallesiaca and artemisia pontica), clary sage, rosemary, fennel, and orange peel in a hydro-alcoholic solution, which are then blended with a Chardonnay wine base and natural sugars. The defining ingredient is the wild plum itself: rather than relying on artificial flavoring, Baldoria extracts natural almond-like notes directly from the plum’s kernel, giving the vermouth its distinctive stone-fruit-and-marzipan character without added extracts.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh wild plum leads, followed by a delicate thread of almond blossom. White flowers and dried herbs emerge underneath, with soft Chardonnay sweetness lingering in the background.

Taste: The entry is smooth and lush, with tart plum flesh meeting warm almond tones at mid-palate. The Chardonnay base lends a soft, rounded mouthfeel, while herbal undertones from the wormwood and clary sage add layered complexity. A touch of sweetness keeps the profile approachable, balanced by a light, classically vermouth-like bitterness.

Finish: Medium in length, with plum skin tartness and faint herbal bitterness holding steady. A whisper of almond and orange peel fades gently.

How to Drink Wild Plum Vermouth

Serve chilled and neat in a small wine glass to appreciate the full aromatic range, or pour over a single large ice cube with a twist of orange peel. Its profile sits in the white vermouth camp, making it a natural swap in classic cocktails:

• El Presidente: The plum and almond notes complement aged rum and orange curaao, adding fruity depth.
• Martini: Use in place of dry vermouth for a rounder, more aromatic variation with stone-fruit complexity.
• Americano: Pair with Campari and soda water; the plum sweetness softens the bitter edge beautifully.

Best For

• Aperitivo hour with charcuterie and light antipasti
• Gifting a cocktail enthusiast looking for unusual modifiers
• Expanding a home bar beyond mainstream French and Italian vermouths
• Summer entertaining where chilled vermouth replaces heavier spirits

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Baldoria Wild Plum taste like? It leads with ripe, tart plum and natural almond notes drawn from the plum kernel, backed by dried herbs, white flowers, and a soft Chardonnay sweetness. Light vermouth bitterness keeps it balanced rather than cloying.

How does Baldoria Wild Plum compare to Dolin Blanc? Dolin Blanc is a classic Chambry-style white vermouth with a more neutral, floral, and vanilla-forward profile at 16% ABV. Baldoria Wild Plum is slightly higher in alcohol at 18% and significantly more fruit-driven, with pronounced stone-fruit and almond character from its rare Alpine plum infusion.

Is Baldoria Wild Plum good for cocktails? Yes it works wherever a recipe calls for white or bianco vermouth, and its plum-almond complexity adds an extra aromatic dimension to drinks like the Martini, Americano, and El Presidente.

Where is Baldoria Wild Plum made? It is produced in Boves, located in the province of Cuneo in Piedmont, Italy, at the base of the Maritime Alps. The wild plums used in the recipe are native to this same Alpine region.

What foods pair well with Baldoria Wild Plum? Aged semi-hard cheeses like Toma Piemontese complement the almond notes; prosciutto and melon echo the fruit-forward profile; grilled white fish works with the herbal undertones; almond-based pastries mirror the kernel character; and marinated artichokes match the vermouth’s gentle bitterness.

What sizes does Baldoria Wild Plum come in? It is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Baldoria Wild Plum worth the price? Baldoria positions itself in the premium artisanal vermouth tier, above mass-market bottles but justified by its use of a rare, nearly extinct plum variety and a production process that avoids artificial flavorings in favor of whole-ingredient macerations.

Why Baldoria Wild Plum?

The clearest differentiator here is the plum itself a nearly extinct variety from the Maritime Alps that virtually no other vermouth producer uses. Baldoria’s partnership with the Alpine Maritime Society to revive this fruit gives the bottling a conservation story grounded in real agricultural work, not marketing. The decision to extract almond character naturally from the plum kernel rather than adding extracts results in a more integrated, less synthetic-tasting profile than many flavored vermouths. For anyone building a serious aperitivo shelf or looking for a modifier that genuinely stands apart from the Carpanos and Dolins of the world, this is a vermouth with a clear reason to exist.