Country of origin:   France         Alcohol content: 16% ABV

Orphaned at age 12, Hyppolyte Bonal was sent to Grande Chartreuse—the head monastery of the Carthusians—nestled in the Chartreuse mountains. After studying medicine he served as a doctor for the monastery for eight years before moving to a nearby town. During contemplative walks in the surrounding mountains, Bonal collected local flora to study its medicinal qualities. This led him to create his eponymous digestif wine in 1865, which was nicknamed “ouvre l'appétit" (key to the appetite) and acquired by Maison Dolin in nearby Chambéry.

Bonal Gentiane-Quina is a hybrid aromatised wine using both gentian root and cinchona bark infused alongside mountain herbs in a base of mistelle—partilally fermented grape juice fortified with spirit.

Balanced sweetness with juicy plum, citrus peel, alpine herb, and cinchona notes finishing with a fine bitterness.

Enjoy chilled paired with salted nuts and hard cheese, or mix with dry cider, tonic, lager or sparkling wine. Substitute for quinquina, Americano, or sweet vermouth in cocktails.

About Dolin:

Dolin’s history began in 1821 with Joseph Chavasse, a liqueur producer who created a new pale style of vermouth inspired by the aperitifs of Turin. Chavasse infused a base wine of Jacquère with herbs and spices sourced both locally in Savoy and abroad. In 1830 he settled in Chambéry where his daughter, Marie Rosalie, was born. When Marie Rosalie married in 1843, Joseph passed his recipe to her husband, Louis Ferdinand Dolin, who began producing vermouth under the Dolin label.

After Louis Ferdinand passed away in 1869, Marie Rosalie took over the business and presented Dolin Vermouth at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876 where it won gold, the first of many awards. In 1919 Charles and Joseph Sevez bought the company as there were no Dolin heirs to inherit the family business.

The early 20th century also saw Vermouth de Chambéry granted appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status, making it the only French vermouth with an official geographical indication. Dolin is still family owned today and upholds the legacy of Vermouth de Chambéry.