Picture Turin, the 1780s: a cosmopolitan city, capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia, known for its eminent university and for its Teatro Regio, which seats an impressive 1,500 people for operatic performances. 

In 1780, Caffè Fiorio opens as a salon catering to the intellectual and political classes. Visitors include Nietzsche and Camilo Benso, Count of Cavour, one of the leading proponents of the risorgimento. To fuel their debates, the men drink vini aromatizzati. All around Piedmont, small laboratories and pharmacies are making these aromatized wines, each crafting their own super-secret version with local botanicals.