Is vermouth a wine?

Can we bring a bottle of dry vermouth in our carryon luggage and have it be considered one of our "free" 750 ml of wine? We would like to make martinis with our purchased vodka. I also assume we can bring a jar of cherries.

According to various online sources (and a few CCers) , vermouth is "an aromatized, fortified wine flavored with various botanicals, in the same category as port, sherry, and (I think) cognac.

As to the second part of your question, I think it varies from ship to ship, with some allowing it and others not.

Can we bring a bottle of dry vermouth in our carryon luggage and have it be considered one of our "free" 750 ml of wine? We would like to make martinis with our purchased vodka. I also assume we can bring a jar of cherries.

You can certainly bring a jar of cherries on board ;).

As Avian said, it's a ship by ship situation. Sometimes you can and sometimes you can't. I wouldn't count on it 100% and if it happens great. If it doesn't do you mind bringing it home? Otherwise, you could buy some from HAL (like your vodka)

Can we bring a bottle of dry vermouth in our carryon luggage and have it be considered one of our "free" 750 ml of wine? We would like to make martinis with our purchased vodka. I also assume we can bring a jar of cherries.

If you're speaking of its use in Manhattans we always take enough in a spill proof plastic bottle, don't use much in our drinks, and pack it in our check bags. Container Store has a great selection.

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Good question - does HAL want to limit any alcohol, or restrict high-proof alcohol: not too different in alcohol content, compared to "hard" liquor at 40% alcohol.

Vermouth - 18% alcohol

Wine - typically 12-14% alcohol

On our cruise, anything that wasn't straight up regular wine, was confiscated. Even though vermouth may be closely related to wine, I saw this confiscated on our ship. Some people smuggled and got away with stuff, but I wouldn't count on it

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Otherwise, you could buy some from HAL (like your vodka)

We use vermouth for our Manhattans and for our first cruise 5 years ago, we asked about buying it on board and was told it would be $56 a bottle, the same size bottle for which I pay $4.95 at home.

Since it's a form of wine, we risked it and carried it with our hand luggage, checked it in and were allowed to carry it on. On a later cruise, the staff member questioned it, I explained it was a form of wine, and she replied that she'd probably get fired for it but told me to go ahead and carry it on. On my last cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, I asked several times where I should check in my carry on wines, no one could ever answer me and I finally walked on with it unchecked with no problem.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do on my upcoming September cruise.

If you are flying TSA will take your bottle of cherries if it is in your carry-on.

Wine is wine, vermouth, like port, sherry, etc. is a fortified wine. If terms are taken literally, the option to carry on wine would not include a fortified wine - still, the staff checking you might not be literal-minded.

As I said in another thread - the "checkers are not wine sommeliers". If the bottle is not shaped like a wine bottle and/or the label doesn't say "Wine" they probably are not going to let it carry on.

We recently had one confused over the idea that "white" zinfandel was actually pink.:rolleyes: and eyes me veryyy suspiciously LOL

and (I think) cognac.

Nope. Cognac is usually 80 proof (40%) same as Brandy. Basically Cognac IS Brandy - just made with white grapes instead of red. Both are distilled alcohol aged in wood barrels much like whiskeys.

Nope. Cognac is usually 80 proof (40%) same as Brandy. Basically Cognac IS Brandy - just made with white grapes instead of red. Both are distilled alcohol aged in wood barrels much like whiskeys.

For a brandy to bear the name Cognac, an Appellation d'origine contrôlée, its production methods must meet certain legal requirements. In particular, it must be made from specified grapes (see below), of which Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Emilion, is the one most widely used.[2] The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wine when aged in barrels, and most cognacs are aged considerably longer than the minimum legal requirement.

The region authorised to produce cognac is divided into six zones, including five crus broadly covering the department of Charente-Maritime, a large part of the department of Charente and a few areas in Deux-Sèvres and the Dordogne. The six zones are: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois and finally Bois Ordinaire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognac

Nope. Cognac is usually 80 proof (40%) same as Brandy. Basically Cognac IS Brandy - just made with white grapes instead of red. Both are distilled alcohol aged in wood barrels much like whiskeys.

All cognac is brandy, but not all brandies are cognac. It has nothing to do with the color of the grapes, but with were the grapes are grown.

olives or onions for martinis.

It has nothing to do with the color of the grapes.

From the Wikipedia article referenced above:

The white wine used in making cognac is very dry, acidic and thin. Though it has been characterized as "virtually undrinkable",[4] it is excellent for distillation and aging. It may be made only from a strict list of grape varieties. In order for it to be considered a true cru, the wine must be at least 90% Ugni blanc (known in Italy as Trebbiano), Folle blanche and Colombard, while up to 10% of the grapes used can be Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François (also called Blanc Ramé), Sélect, Montils or Sémillon.[5][6] Cognacs which are not to carry the name of a cru are freer in the allowed grape varieties, needing at least 90% Colombard, Folle blanche, Jurançon blanc, Meslier Saint-François, Montils, Sémillon, or Ugni blanc, and up to 10% Folignan or Sélect.

Not an expert on grapes but I think the ones listed are all used for white wines.

There are quite a few high end Vermouths that could easily pass as wines. If you're looking in the $28+ range, you'll probably find some.

There are quite a few high end Vermouths that could easily pass as wines. If you're looking in the $28+ range, you'll probably find some.

All vermouths are wines - even the $3.99/btl variety. Whether or not you'd want to drink one as an aperitif, though, could be questioned. :)

Nope. Cognac is usually 80 proof (40%) same as Brandy. Basically Cognac IS Brandy - just made with white grapes instead of red. Both are distilled alcohol aged in wood barrels much like whiskeys.

Cognac is a region that produces Brandy. It's like Champagne and sparkling wine. Champagne is the region that restricts the use of the name, as does Cognac.

From the Wikipedia article referenced above:

 

The white wine used in making cognac is very dry, acidic and thin. Though it has been characterized as "virtually undrinkable",[4] it is excellent for distillation and aging. It may be made only from a strict list of grape varieties. In order for it to be considered a true cru, the wine must be at least 90% Ugni blanc (known in Italy as Trebbiano), Folle blanche and Colombard, while up to 10% of the grapes used can be Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François (also called Blanc Ramé), Sélect, Montils or Sémillon.[5][6] Cognacs which are not to carry the name of a cru are freer in the allowed grape varieties, needing at least 90% Colombard, Folle blanche, Jurançon blanc, Meslier Saint-François, Montils, Sémillon, or Ugni blanc, and up to 10% Folignan or Sélect.

 

Not an expert on grapes but I think the ones listed are all used for white wines.

But where do the red grapes for brandy come into the equation? It sounds like brandy also is made of white grapes.

Can we bring a bottle of dry vermouth in our carryon luggage and have it be considered one of our "free" 750 ml of wine? We would like to make martinis with our purchased vodka. I also assume we can bring a jar of cherries.

It think that I would be tempted to pour a small amount of vermouth (how long is your cruise, BTW) into a plastic cosmetic-style bottle you can get at the drugstore, and pack it in your luggage.

But where do the red grapes for brandy come into the equation? It sounds like brandy also is made of white grapes.

Brandy is normally made from white grapes whereas Cognac must be made from white grapes. Calvados is a brandy but it's made from Apples instead of grapes. Brandy is just a broader term

But where do the red grapes for brandy come into the equation? It sounds like brandy also is made of white grapes.

There are a fair number of white wines made from red grapes. In fact, a heck of a lot of Champagne is made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Muenier, both of which are black grapes.

There are a fair number of white wines made from red grapes. In fact, a heck of a lot of Champagne is made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Muenier, both of which are black grapes.

In large part, you get a white wine by removing the skins - and a red by leaving the skins.

In large part, you get a white wine by removing the skins - and a red by leaving the skins.

Most white wine comes from white grape varieties, but through maceration, you can get orange wine from white grapes. There are some Oregon wine makers that do it with Pinot Gris. It's also done in Friuli-Venezia, Italy. Think of it as reverse rosė. :)

Most white wine comes from white grape varieties, but through maceration, you can get orange wine from white grapes. There are some Oregon wine makers that do it with Pinot Gris. It's also done in Friuli-Venezia, Italy. Think of it as reverse rosė. :)

While it's a truism that all grapes are either red or white, Pinot Gris might be the exception - it really is gray, and fairly dark gray at that. Admittedly, the Italians seem to have bred a lighter clone with Pinot Grigio, but in Alsace it's still fairly dark.