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5218 Lawton Avenue
Oakland, CA 94114

510-654-9159

Oliver McCrum Wines has been importing small production Italian wine and distributing to fine retail and restaurant establishes throughout California since 1994. Over time, our portfolio of producers has steadily grown to over 45 producers from 15 different regions of Italy. We look for typical Italian wines with clarity and freshness, usually made from indigenous Italian grape varieties using clean, transparent winemaking techniques and no obvious use of oak. 

Blog

Istine Vermouth di Radda Back in Stock

Michele Boscia

When Angela Fronti isn’t busy making award-winning Chianti Classico that gets huge scores with critics and sells out vintage after vintage, she focuses her attention on vermouth.

Still a secret to the greater wine community, Angela’s Vermouth di Radda is the obsession of our sales team (as you can see in the photo!). Made in a rosé style from her own organically-grown Sangiovese grapes, it’s always one of the most anticipated arrivals of the year.

The same grapes that classify as DOCG Chianti Classico, from the heart of the region in Radda (hence the name), are used for the production of the Istine Vermouth, along with locally-sourced Tuscan botanicals. Angela teams up with a distillery in the Piedmont region (hint hint) to create the final product.

With elderberry, sweet orange peel, china, gentian, clove, cinnamon, saffron, mint, and juniper in the final recipe (along with two dozen other botanicals), the Vermouth di Radda is as flavorful as it is fresh. Unlike sweeter vermouths that often lack acidity, the Sangiovese rosé base has a mouthwatering raciness that can stand entirely on its own in a simple cocktail (you can see some of our favorite recipes here).

Istine only produces a few small batches of Vermouth di Radda each year, and a large portion of that is consumed by both Angela and the Oliver McCrum team, which leaves a limited amount for the public. A fresh batch has just landed at our warehouse, so it’s a great time to place an order.

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