California makers are reshaping a centuries-old ritual into something distinctly local, luminous and alive. Reclaiming the before-dinner drink with California-grown soul, apéritivo culture comes home to Marin and Wine Country, in all its citrus, herbal and low-proof glory.

Apéritivo, derived from the Latin aperire meaning “to open,” has long been a cherished Italian tradition designed to awaken the appetite before dinner. Historically, this pre-meal ritual has involved sipping bittersweet, herbal liqueurs like vermouth, Campari or Aperol, often accompanied by light snacks such as olives, nuts or cheeses. The essence of apéritivo hasn’t changed much over the decades; it’s still about that delightful pause in the day to relax and socialize before dinner.

However, the term apéritif has shifted over time. As Sally Ann Berk noted in The New New York Bartender’s Guide (1997), “The term apéritif now refers more to the time the drink is served than what it consists of.” This sentiment is echoed in Sam Malone’s Black Book: The Drink Recipe Collection for the 21st Century (2002), stating that an apéritif “may mean any alcoholic beverage taken to stimulate the appetite before a meal.”

Those definitions, more than two decades old, still define today’s apéritivo scene, which is less of a fixed formula and more of a delicious window of possibility. What has evolved is the creativity and quality of the apéritifs available today. The drinks may still nod to tradition—bitters, bubbles, botanicals—but there’s room now for low-proof, no-proof, and everything in between. Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping the landscape with more mindful sipping habits, but the joy of gathering remains.

Moreover, the apéritivo hour has become more than just a prelude to dinner; it’s an event in itself. Bars and restaurants now offer elaborate apéritivo spreads, sometimes blurring the lines between appetizers and the main course. This evolution reflects a broader cultural shift towards more flexible and social dining experiences.

Local Apéritifs

1. 1. MUSEION VERMUSE

This lush vermouth is the brainchild of the Hernández family, who relocated to Napa Valley from Guatemala over 15 years ago. With roots in telecommunications, real estate and agriculture, the family parlayed their diverse business background into a bold investment in Napa’s Wine Country. Today, they own a tiny vineyard parcel tucked behind the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena and have transformed parts of the historic Calistoga Water Company and the former Von Strasser Winery into a modern production facility—all under the creative banner of Museion.

Now led by second-generation siblings Marcela and Jorge Hernández, Museion—named for the ancient “temple of the Muses”—serves as a platform to merge winemaking with art, culture and classical mythology. Each bottling is inspired by a different muse, including their demi-sec style Vermuse vermouth, a tribute to Erato, the muse of romantic poetry.

Crafted from Syrah grapes grown around their Calistoga tasting salon, Vermuse is infused with 13 botanicals, among them rose petals, vanilla bean, orange peel, coriander seed, wormwood, angelica root, orris root and gentian root.

TASTING OBSERVATIONS

The result is a real head-turner. Stick your nose in the glass and you’re met with a cascade of unfamiliar and compelling aromas—deeply earthy, laced with red berry sweetness, a touch of white pepper and a waft of fragrant wild herbs that lend an almost alpine spaciousness. On the palate, it transforms—lush, supple, seductive. A zippy, impressionable sipper that evokes dried apricots, wildflower honey, bee pollen and a whisper of vanilla. Just be warned: At 19% ABV, it’ll sneak up on you.

2. 2. MOMMENPOP

In 2017, winemaker Samantha Sheehan made one experimental barrel of apéritif using her Manchester Ridge Chardonnay and fresh Seville orange peel. Inspired by sipping Lillet at Angèle in Napa, she first called it “vermouth”—a choice she quickly regretted. “The name alone stopped people in their tracks,” she recalls. “Once I changed it to ‘apéritif,’ it was like an awakening.”

The name Mommenpop came from a label brainstorm with her husband, designer Michael McDermott. “It felt like something we’d pour for friends at home,” she says. “It had to be pure, bright and joyful.”

Unlike traditional apéritifs that rely on high-proof distillates and sugar, Mommenpop uses early-picked, organically farmed Thompson Seedless grapes for a clean, neutral base. Fermentation is stopped early, preserving natural grape sugar (80 g/L residual sugar). The blend is infused with unwaxed, biodynamically and organically farmed citrus—50,000 pounds per batch—and steeped six to eight weeks. Hibiscus flower adds color and gentle sweetness while the addition of dried orris root frames and helps preserve flavors and aromatics long after opening. Each batch takes nearly nine months to produce, yielding just 10,000 cases annually, split between three citrus apéritifs: Seville Orange, Blood Orange and Ruby Grapefruit. “It’s sunshine in a glass,” Sheehan says, “and when in doubt—add more Mommenpop.”

TASTING OBSERVATIONS

Seville Orange Citrus Apéritif: Delicate aromas of orange peel and zest give way to a creamy orange Creamsicle note, with just a hint of vanilla. Lush and smooth on the palate, it’s beautifully textured and gently sweet without being cloying. Made with fresh, peak-season organic Seville oranges, this one feels like summer in a glass.

Blood Orange Citrus Apéritif: Darker, moodier and more brooding than the Seville. This is all about intense blood orange flavor, backed by a zesty, tangy acidity that keeps it fresh and lifted. A little leaner on the palate than the Seville, but no less delicious. Made with fresh peak-season organic blood oranges, it’s citrus with edge.

Ruby Grapefruit Citrus Apéritif: This one’s a stunner. Like biting into a perfectly ripe Ruby Red grapefruit—bursting with juicy, tangysweet freshness and just enough phenolic grip to mimic that satisfying mouth-puckery finish. The balance of tartness and sweetness is spot on, and the finish just goes on and on. As a grapefruit fanatic, I’d happily drink this one over ice, solo. Wow.

3. 3. SCRIBE

Established in 2007 by brothers Andrew and Adam Mariani, Scribe Winery is situated on a historic property that dates back to 1858, when it was first cultivated by German immigrant Emil Dresel. The Mariani brothers, fourth-generation California farmers, have revitalized the land, embracing sustainable farming practices to produce wines that honor the site’s rich history.

Their Summer Vermouth is typically bottled in May and is made from estate-grown Chardonnay, then fortified and infused with orange peel, wild fennel and lemon verbena grown on their farm. “We enjoy drinking it before dinner, over ice with an orange peel,” says Andrew Mariani.

TASTING OBSERVATIONS

It shows a pretty lemon-gold hue in the glass, and offers a bright, fragrant, expressive nose that is explicitly fresh, wild fennel, with notes of lemon verbena—yes, the exact ingredients!—along with honeycomb nuances and lemon zest. All those aromatic flavors build on the beautifully balanced and citrus-driven palate and I wouldn’t hesitate to drink it chilled on its own, or on the rocks with a slice of orange or lemon peel, or to make a white Negroni with equal parts Summer Vermouth, Suze (or other gentian-forward apéritif), and a London Dry Gin, garnished with an orange slice.

4. 4. LO-FI

Founded in 2016, Lo-Fi is a collaboration between E. & J. Gallo and Steven Grasse—the creative force behind brands like Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry. Their aim? To craft apéritifs that play well with American-made craft spirits and cocktails. The line includes dry and sweet vermouths and a 40-proof Gentian Amaro, all made from California wines infused with herbs and botanicals, with no artificial flavors or sweeteners. (The Gentian and Sweet Vermouth include some cane sugar.)

Vinted in Napa, the base blends unoaked Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli and fortified French Colombard. A sherry-style California wine adds body to the Sweet Vermouth. The name “Lo-Fi” nods to low-fidelity music—DIY, laid-back and, as the team tells Edible, much like their approach to apéritifs.

TASTING OBSERVATIONS

Dry Vermouth: Made from white wine and grape spirits infused with fennel, coriander, cardamom, elderflower, cherry bark, anise and chamomile. In the glass, it opens with a striking anise note and candied fennel, beautifully balanced by high-toned brown spices and delicate white flowers. A hint of honeycomb rounds out the aromatics. Bone-dry and super expressive, it’s inviting and delicious from nose to palate to a long, lingering finish.

Gentian Amaro: White wine and grape spirits infused with anise, cinchona bark, orange oil bitters, hibiscus, grapefruit, ginger, bois de rose and gentian root. It pours a brilliant ruby-grapefruit hue and smells of bright cherry and hibiscus tea layered with orange oil essence. Fullbodied and lush on the palate, with a warming sweetness and ultra-silky viscosity, it adds both richness and texture to anything you blend it with. The finish is subtly sweet, gently spiced and delightfully persistent.

Sweet Vermouth: White wine and grape spirits infused with rhubarb, cocoa, clove, coriander, cardamom, orange oil bitters, vanilla, gentian root, cherry bark, dried fruit, anise and coconut. Potent aromas of licorice, vanilla and clove rise from the glass, with a dusting of cocoa powder. On the palate, it’s expressive and complex—less viscous than the Gentian Amaro and not as sweet as the name might suggest. Each botanical is well-delineated, offering a panoply of flavors that weave into a balanced and sophisticated whole.

5. 5. RUE DE RÊVE

Founded in 2024 by longtime friends and travel companions Jennifer Kimpe, an experienced marketer, and Jeanne-Marie Hebert, a co-founder of Bay Design & Build, a construction and renovation firm. Rue de Rêve, which translates to “Dream Street,” reflects their shared passion for travel, design and the culinary arts, all of which inspired them to craft apéritifs that capture the essence of both the European and Californian lifestyles they know and love—and want to share. Their wine-based apéritifs are crafted with ingredients sourced from Sonoma County.

Rue de Rêve’s apéritifs are produced in Petaluma at the zerowaste Griffo Distillery, which also supplies the grape spirits used for fortification. Organically produced wine sourced from Kivelstadt Cellars is blended with grape spirits, fruit, botanicals, and organic cane sugar. A distinctive ingredient in all their apéritifs is Artemisia douglasiana, commonly known as California mugwort or the “dream plant,” valued for its digestive properties and historical use in aromatized wines.

The result is a trio of light-to-medium-bodied, wine-forward apéritifs to be enjoyed neat, over ice or as a component in cocktails.

TASTING OBSERVATIONS

Blanc Vermouth (Tangerine & Elderflower): Bright and expressive on the nose, this one opens with a squeeze of juicy tangerine, lifted by airy notes of elderflower and a subtle hint of vanilla. On the palate, it’s zesty and tangy—perfectly pitched between light and weighty, squarely in the Goldilocks zone.

Rosé Vermouth (Strawberry, Mint & Rosehip): One of the more refined aromatic apéritifs I tasted for this piece. Whether it’s the power of suggestion or pure sensory truth, it truly evokes just-picked farmers’ market strawberries, a whisper of freshly snipped mint and a soft, creamy, vanilla-laced rose aroma. On the palate, it leans sweet, with all the same notes reappearing—this time with the mint taking a more prominent role.

Rouge Vermouth (Orange, Cardamom & Gentian Root): This was my favorite of the Rue de Rêve’s apéritif lineup. Imagine the most elegant sangria you’ve ever sipped: aromatic with dark berry fruit and warm spice, evolving on the palate into spiced orange, a gentle earthy undercurrent from the gentian and a sense of focused energy. It’s balanced, never too sweet and full of poise. Delicious on the rocks or as a complex, low-fuss cocktail base.

See also:

Where to Find Apéritivo

For a menu of seasonal apéritifs and light bites, check out these places.

Where to Find Apéritivo

Summer Spritzes

For refreshing and seasonal drink recipes using the above aperitifs, click the button below.

Summer Spritz Recipes