L'Aperitivo Nonino Botanical Drink
L'Aperitivo Nonino Botanical Drink is a 21% ABV (42 proof) Italian aperitivo in a 700mL bottle — an infusion of 18 botanicals (flowers, herbs, roots, fruits) into Nonino's ÙE® Grape Distillate, revived in 2018 from the Nonino family's 1940 recipe, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 21% (42 proof) — NOT zero-proof
- Size: 700mL (official Italian bottle; US 750mL SKU exists — bottle read settles it)
- Origin: Percoto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy — Nonino Distillatori
- Base: ÙE® Grape Distillate Fragolino Monovitigno® (strawberry grape)
- Botanicals: 18 — incl. gentian root, rhubarb, lemons, limes, oranges; dried at low temperature
- Recipe: Silvia Milocco Nonino's 1940 'Aperitivo Bianco', revived by the Nonino sisters 2018
- Awards: Gold, 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Meininger's Aperitif of the Year 2021
A Family Recipe, 78 Years in the Making
In 1940, Silvia Milocco Nonino — matriarch of Italy's famed grappa dynasty — created an 'Aperitivo Bianco' from botanicals infused in grape distillate. Nearly eight decades later, her granddaughters Cristina, Antonella, Elisabetta and Francesca revived it as L'Aperitivo Nonino: 18 botanicals, dried at low temperature to preserve their aromatics, infused into the house's signature ÙE® Fragolino grape distillate. The saffron-gold color comes 100% from botanicals — no artificial colors or flavors. Browse our aperitifs, explore the Nonino range, or build an Italian hour with other Italian spirits.
Tasting Notes
Golden and luminous. The nose is intensely botanical — citrus peel, gentian, floral notes, and a whisper of strawberry grape from the Fragolino base. The palate is bittersweet in the classic aperitivo balance: bright citrus and floral lift up front, bitter roots (gentian, rhubarb) providing the drying, appetite-whetting finish.
How to Enjoy
The house serve is the Nonino Spritz — L'Aperitivo over ice with prosecco, a splash of soda, and an orange twist. It's also superb simply on ice with a citrus peel, or as the bitter component in a white negroni variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is L'Aperitivo Nonino non-alcoholic?
No — it is 21% ABV (42 proof), a fully alcoholic aperitivo. Do not confuse it with zero-proof aperitivo alternatives.
What is L'Aperitivo Nonino made from?
18 botanicals (flowers, herbs, roots, fruits including gentian root, rhubarb, and citrus) infused into Nonino's ÙE® Fragolino grape distillate. 100% natural, vegan-friendly.
How do you drink L'Aperitivo Nonino?
As a spritz with prosecco and soda, on ice with citrus, or in aperitivo cocktails — it's designed for the Italian aperitivo hour.
What awards has it won?
Gold at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Meininger's International 'Aperitif of the Year 2021'.
Stock your aperitivo hour — order L'Aperitivo Nonino online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.