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Corsican wines

Corsican wines, fruits of the vineyards of beauty

Developed by the Greeks in the 6th century B.C. and later by the Romans, Corsica's incredibly rich vineyards produce a wine that deserves to be discovered. The wine of Aleria had already made a name for itself in Greek cities, then in the Roman Empire. The success of Corsican wines in the Mediterranean basin and the incidental expansion of the vineyard marked subsequent periods until the second half of the 19th century. Oidium, phylloxera and then the world wars completed the commercial decline of Corsica's vineyards. It wasn't until the 1950s, therefore, that Corsican viticulture began to flourish again, but on the strength of a past, know-how and a terroir that ensured the quality of the wines.

Covering nearly 8,000 hectares, Corsica's vineyards are spread along the island's entire coastline and boast 9 appellations d'origine contrôlée, including the wines of Figari, Ajaccio and Patrimonio.

Among the most widely used grape varieties, most of which are specific to Corsica, are Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu, Aleatico and Barbarossa for red and rosé wines, and Vermentinu and Bianco Gentile for white wine.

Geography and characteristics of Corsican wines

Corsica enjoys unrivalled sunshine in France, even in winter, while benefiting from the coolness of the sea, microclimates in the valleys, and a good balance to avoid vine diseases and water stress. Corsica's vineyards cover more than 8,000 hectares, divided into a regional appellation Vins de Corse, two appellations crus Ajaccio and Patrimonio, five appellations villages Corse Calvi, Corse Coteaux du Cap Corse, Corse Figari, Corse Porto-Vecchio, Corse Sartene, and an appellation Vin Doux Naturel (VDN). Muscat du Cap Corse. Soils are limestone in the north and south of the island, granite in the west, schist in the east and sedimentary alluvium in the center. There is also the appellation IGP Ile de Beauté to authenticate Corsican wines.

The best Corsican wines, the most popular with connoisseurs, are made with local grape varieties from the island's long winegrowing history. There are around thirty of them, including paga Debiti, malvoisie, vermentino, carcajolo blanc and bianco gentile for white wines; nielluccio, sciarcello and carcajolo noir for red wines. Travel with just a glass in hand.

Among the island's must-have estates are Domaine Renucci, in AOC Corse Calvi, run by Bernard Renucci since 1991; Clos Canarelli, run by Yves Canarelli in Figari, at the foot of the Omu di Cagna massif towards Bonifacio, a top-of-the-range Corsican wine with a fresh, mineral character, produced biodynamically; and Domaine Comte Abbatucci, one of the island's oldest vineyards, located in the Taravo valley, where Jean-Charles Abbatucci cultivates no fewer than 18 native grape varieties, also biodynamically. In addition, there are other estates typical of the Isle of Beauty with their own unique character: E Croce Yves Leccia, Clos Poggiale, Antoine Arena, Clos Signadore and Nicolas Mariotti-Bindi.

Food and wine pairing

White and rosé wines are the perfect accompaniment to many aperitifs, fish and seafood starters, and goat's and sheep's cheese platters such as brocciu. Red wines, like a Faustine Rouge 2018They go well with dishes such as lamb with olives, kid with rosemary or osso buco, as well as a platter of local charcuterie (figatellu, lonzu, prisuttu).

For more information, visit the official website for Corsican wines.