L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano C i n z a n o w a s founded in 1757 i n T u r i n b y brothers Giovan- ni Giacomo and Carlo Stefano Cinzano, who, drawing from their fami- ly's extensive vineyards in Piedmont and their expertise in distillation and confec- tionery, began producing aro- matic, fortified wines, precur- sors to modern vermouth. Their winning characteristic was the use of a selected blend of Alpine herbs and spices, many of them local to the region. While not yet labeled as v e r m o u t h i n t h e m o d e r n sense, the Cinzano brothers' products were close to the aromatized wine tradition that would later define the category. Soon after the start of the venture, the quality and r e f i n e m e n t o f t h e i r w o r k earned them membership in Turin's prestigious Università dei Maestri Acquavitai e Con- fettieri (Guild of Master Dis- tillers and Confectioners), and by 1776, they were official suppliers to the royal court of the House of Savoy. Ten years later, in 1786, the Savoy court issued a formal royal license further recognizing Cinzano's exceptional production of aro- matized wines: it was a land- mark moment for the compa- ny, that helped define the product type and cement the company's reputation. O v e r t h e 1 9 t h c e n t u r y , F r a n c e s c o C i n z a n o I I expanded the business' agri- cultural base in Santa Vittoria d'Alba; it was under his lead- ership that Cinzano released its first spumante, inspired by Champagne methods. The shift marked a significant evo- lution to full-scale wine pro- d u c t i o n : b y m i d - c e n t u r y , industrial-scale vermouth and sparkling wines were being produced, with a facto- ry established in Santo Ste- fano Belbo. Cinzano became instru- mental in shaping ver- mouth's profile world- w i d e : t h e i r v e r m o u t h creation was a Rosso, fla- vored with over 30 Alpine herbs and spices, such as m a r j o r a m , t h y m e , a n d yarrow. After World War II, Cinzano pioneered the popu- l a r v e r m o u t h b i a n c o style, medium-sweet and aromatized, helping secure its place in modern cocktail cul- ture. Exports began in the late 19th century, reaching mar- kets in Argentina, Brazil, and the USA, and by 1913, Cin- zano had become a modern m a r k e t i n g p i o n e e r : its neon rooftop sign in Paris was among the first rooftop advertisements ever created. S t e a d i l y , t h e b r a n d g r e w internationally and became a symbol of global cocktail ritu- als – and a key ingredient in m a n y , f r o m m a r t i n i s t o Negronis and Manhattans. Despite its expansion, Cin- zano remained family-led u n t i l 1 9 8 5 , w h e n t h e M a r o n e - C i n z a n o f a m i l y began selling stakes to Inter- national Distillers & Vintners (IDV), a move finalized in 1992 under Grand Metropoli- tan, the parent of IDV. In 1999, the successor to Grand Metropolitan, Diageo, sold t h e C i n z a n o b r a n d ( n o t including the Santa Vittoria production facility) to Gruppo Campari. Under Campari, Cinzano continued to per- form: it diversified its lines, including Vermouth Rosso, Bianco, Extra Dry, and Rosé, alongside sparkling wines like Prosecco, Alta Langa, and Asti DOCG, products that rein- forced Cinzano's position as a versatile aperitif and cocktail staple worldwide. In 2024, Cinzano and its sister brand Frattina reported net sales of €75 million with a 5% compound annual growth rate over four years, though they accounted for just 2% of Campari's overall r e v e n u e . I n J u n e 2 0 2 5 , Campari announced the sale of its Cinzano (vermouth and sparkling wine) and Frattina portfolio to Gruppo Caffo 1915 for €100 million. The deal included all intellectual p r o p e r t y , f i n i s h e d s t o c k , selected employees, and cer- tain equipment, but notably excluded the production sites in Italy and Argentina, which continue under a transitional manufacturing agreement. Campari will maintain tempo- rary distribution in markets including Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and South Africa until Caffo's network takes over. The acquisition positions Gruppo Caffo, already known for Vecchio Amaro del Capo, to strengthen its global pres- ence in aromatic fortified wines and sparkling bever- ages, with Caffo CEO Sebas- tiano Caffo calling the deal a "major leap toward interna- tional expansion." Caffo also p r o m i s e d t o r e l a u n c h t h e b r a n d i n I t a l y u s i n g t h e i r domestic distribution net- work. Today, Cinzano continues its 268 year-old story, built on secret recipes and botanical extracts, and enters a new chapter under Caffo's stew- ardship, always ready to be a part of the world's aperitivo culture and of many moments of celebration. W h e n w e t h i n k about the f o u n d a - t i o n s o f Western music, one of the most important – founda- tional, in fact! – contribu- tions comes from medieval Italy. The modern system of musical notation, the one that allows musicians today to read and perform music written centuries ago, o w e s m u c h t o a n I t a l i a n monk, Guido d'Arezzo. Living in the 11th century, Guido d'Arezzo was a Bene- dictine monk and music the- orist who wanted to simplify how music was taught and remembered. At the time, melodies were either learned o r a l l y w r i t t e n u s i n g neumes, marks that indi- cated pitch movement but not precise notes; as useful a s i t w a s , t h e s y s t e m w a s c u m b e r s o m e a n d m a d e l e a r n i n g m u s i c s l o w a n d unreliable. Guido introduced a staff made of four lines ( i n s t e a d o f t o d a y ' s f i v e , which you still see in Grego- rian Chants'scores), which allowed for exact pitches to be notated, and used letters (now clefs) to fix a refer- ence point. This was a revo- l u t i o n a r y c h a n g e t h a t allowed singers to read unfa- miliar melodies without hav- ing heard them first. Perhaps even more influ- ential was his development of solmization, the "do, re, mi" system. Guido based this on a Latin hymn to St. John the Baptist, where each line b e g a n o n a p r o g r e s s i v e l y higher note: Ut queant laxis, Resonare fibris, Mira gesto- rum, and so on. From these first syllables, he created a scale: ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la. Later, "ut" became "do," and "si" (later "ti") was added to c o m p l e t e t h e s e v e n - n o t e s c a l e w e u s e t o d a y . T h i s i n n o v a t i o n , k n o w n a s t h e hexachord system, helped musicians and singers inter- nalize pitch relationships and was the foundation of sight- singing techniques still used in music education around the world. G u i d o ' s w o r k q u i c k l y spread through monasteries and schools, transforming how music was taught, com- posed, and preserved. With- out his system, the complexi- t y o f l a t e r m e d i e v a l a n d R e n a i s s a n c e m u s i c w o u l d have been much harder to achieve. So yes, it is true: musical n o t e s , a s w e k n o w t h e m , were effectively "invented" in Italy. Guido d'Arezzo's con- tributions represent one of the country's most significant legacies to global culture: a universal musical language born in an Italian monastery. G u i d o d ' A r e z z o i n a M e d i e v a l i m a g e ( P h o t o : R o b b o t a t D u t c h W i k i p e d i a . Wikicommons. Public Domain) Guido d'Arezzo: the mind behind modern musical notation From the House of Savoy to cocktails around the world: the story of Cinzano IMPRESA ITALIA MADE IN ITALY TOP BRANDS BUSINESS & ECONOMY Bottles of Cinzano vermouth on sale. The brand sells all over the world (Photo: Roman Zaiets/Dreamstime)

• Cover