Ajaccio

The Ajaccio Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) covers the entire district of Ajaccio, as well as the canton of Petreto-Bicchisano to the south. The Ajaccio AOC was established by a decree in June 1980. Located around the Gulf of Ajaccio, the vineyard is divided into different sectors. Thus, one can distinguish the north shore—steep and not particularly conducive to agricultural activities—from the south shore, which has a broader and gentler terrain that allowed for human settlement and the establishment of farms in the late 19th century, as well as the two river valleys oriented northeast and southwest—the Gravona and the Prunelli—which flow into the Gulf of Ajaccio.

Ajaccio wines are distinguished by the common factors that unite them, such as geological, climatic, or cultural characteristics, which outweigh the factors that differentiate them. The approximately 240 hectares of the Ajaccio vineyard yield a production of around 8,200 hectoliters of wine per year.

According to the appellation’s specifications, Ajaccio red and rosé wines must be made from at least 60% Sciaccarellu, and whites from at least 80% Vermentino. It was on the terroir of Ajaccio that Sciaccarellu, a high-quality grape variety with a distinct character, first emerged. It imparts to the wines those distinctive aromas of almond and blackcurrant. Here, the reds are robust, the rosés are elegant, and the whites, made from Vermentino, possess a distinctly floral character. The Ajaccio wines offered by Domaine Comte Abbatucci or Domaine Comte Peraldi fully express these characteristics.