There’s an old adage – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And on the whole, that’s pretty sound advice. But what if fixing it could actually make it substantially better, not just in terms of quality but also sustainability and ultimately brand longevity.
This is a question that faced Mark Ward from Regal Rogue, the Australian quaffable Vermouth.
Although his brand of award-winning Vermouths had been inspiring bartenders around the globe since 2011, Ward believed that there was more that could be done.
But how do you take new world Vermouth, that already uses clean, natural blends of Australian wines and native Australian herbs, with reduced sugar, and make that better?
Well, since 2017, Ward knew he wanted to push the boundaries further and work towards a more environmentally sustainable product. He, therefore, did as all creators do – he went back to the drawing board and stripped the Vermouths back to their most basic levels.
At the heart of all Vermouths is the wine, the herbs and the packaging, and these were the three components that Ward sought to envisage.
Ward says “The vision was always about creating an everyday drinking style and this is the best quality we can deliver across all elements of the brand with a nod to the environment for the long-term.
“Stay tuned for some seriously exciting limited-edition releases next,” he continued.
Firstly all the base wines used are now 100 per cent organic and Australian, sourced from See Saw Wines in Orange, NSW.
This has seen the recipes change slightly with the Lively White moving from a Semillon to an organic un-wooded Chardonnay; the Daring Dry will stay as an organic Sauvignon Blanc, the Bold Red as a blend of organic Shiraz & unwooded Chardonnay and the Wild Rosé will move from a Shiraz Rosé to an organic Cabernet Rosé in the new range.
Ward said: “With such a lift in the key ingredients, we went back to the beginning with our blending process to focus on a truly natural marriage of the wine and herbs and each varietal now has a new intensity between the ingredients.”
The second key change sees 80 per cent of the herbs used being organic and sourced from Herbal Connection in NSW.
Ward adds: “All of the native herbs and spices will continue to be sourced from Vic Cherikoff, considered to be the forefather of native and wild herbs and spices in Australia.”
Finally, 98 per cent of the packaging is now recycled. With a new bespoke bottle – the glass is recycled and all paper stock for the labels has the Forest Stewardship Council stamp. As a consequence of this change, they have removed the paper wraps from the everyday range and instead will keep these for limited edition release.
The new tasting notes for the Vermouths are –
Lively White
Regal Rogue Lively White is bursting with citrus and floral notes, marrying an Orange, NSW, Organic un-wooded Chardonnay with native Lemon myrtle, Desert limes, Finger limes and Native Thyme with elderflower, lemongrass, grapefruit and chamomile.
Style: Semi-dry, 80gms sugar per litre. 43% less than the category standard.
Additional flavour notes – pairs with Grapefruit, Pineapple, Lemon, Lime, Rosemary, Basil
Daring Dry
Regal Rogue Daring Dry is led by savoury and light salty notes creating an umami finish. Marrying a grassy Orange, NSW, Organic Sauvignon Blanc with native Anise Myrtle, Quandong and Native Thyme and followed by white pepper, gentian, olive leaf and juniper. This gives an earthy, salty and very herbaceous character.
Style: Extra-dry, 25gms sugar per litre.
Additional flavour notes – pairs with Caper berries, Olives, Pickles, Cucumber, Thyme, Oregano, Sage
Bold Red
Regal Rogue Bold Red is one of the world’s first dry Red vermouths, led by aromatic spice and rich dried fruit. Marrying a deep, rich naturally spiced Organic Shiraz with Orange, NSW, Organic un-wooded Chardonnay and native Pepper berry, Wattleseed and Native Thyme followed by Cinnamon, clove, star anise, nutmeg, ginger, bitter orange, dried fig and dried cherry.
Style: Semi-Dry, 80gms sugar per litre. 64% less than the category standard.
Additional flavour notes. – pairs with Orange, Blood Orange, Ginger, Figs, Cherries, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Bitter Chocolate
Wild Rosé
Regal Rogue Bold Red is one of the world’s first dry Red vermouths, led by aromatic spice and rich dried fruit. Marrying a deep, rich naturally spiced Organic Shiraz with Orange, NSW, Organic un-wooded Chardonnay and native Pepper berry, Wattleseed and Native Thyme followed by Cinnamon, clove, star anise, nutmeg, ginger, bitter orange, dried fig and dried cherry.
Style: Semi-Dry, 80gms sugar per litre. 64% less than the category standard.
Additional flavour notes. – pairs with Orange, Blood Orange, Ginger, Figs, Cherries, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Bitter Chocolate
The new organic range will be launched into the following global markets as follows;
Australia – partnering with Déjà Vu Wines to launch February 1st, 2020
UK & Ireland – partnering with Enotria Coe to launch on March 1st 2020
Sweden & Denmark – partnering with Collection Spirits in early March 2020
USA – partnering with Winebow to launch on July 1st 2020
