585361 Mon Jan 05 15:10:59 -0800 2009 5 34 Wine 0 4298612 so i wanted to make a manhattan this evening and became lost in the vermouth section of the liquor store. what's the best sweet vermouth? your suggestions would be sweet. Mon Jan 05 15:10:59 -0800 2009 48024 oystersallday 1 4298630 Noilly Prat always works for me.....and I like to buy the half bottle sizes myself. Mon Jan 05 15:14:45 -0800 2009 4298612 123497 fourunder 1 4298649 We've been having a lot of fun with Vya from California. It's made in sweet or dry versions. Here's a link to a discussion about it and Quady winery in Madera. Mon Jan 05 15:21:57 -0800 2009 4298612 10039 Melanie Wong 1 4298687 Depends on what you like and what you want it for. If you're just mixing a little here and there, the mass market stuff (Noilly Prat or Cinzano, avoid M&R, LeJon, and Gallo) is okay. But frankly, they're not very interesting, especially as straight apertifs. Moving up to the good stuff, Punt e Mes is a classic. Very orangey, very bitter. Not too sweet. Very complex. Vya is smoother and more drinkable. It's not overly bitter, but is less interesting. Carpano Antica Formula combines the best of both worlds. It supposedly uses the recipe that Antonio Benedetto Carpano used for the first vermouth ever made, in 1786. It's perfectly balanced and incredibly complex. Slightly sweet, slightly bitter, very aromatic. Each sip leaves you wanting a little more. Mon Jan 05 15:37:44 -0800 2009 4298612 58743 alanbarnes 2 4299004 Agreed -- Carpano Antica Formula -- that's my choice. Mon Jan 05 17:30:31 -0800 2009 4298687 28122 zin1953 3 4303365 thank you! Wed Jan 07 06:17:06 -0800 2009 4299004 48024 oystersallday