Ile de Beauté

According to the decree establishing the appellation, to qualify for the IGP Ile de Beauté designation, wines must be made from grapes harvested in the departments of Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud. The Vin de pays de l’Ile de Beauté draws on terroirs as varied as the diversity of Corsica’s soils allows. The climate is, of course, Mediterranean. The appellation’s approximately 3,150 hectares of vineyards yield an annual production of about 200,000 hectoliters of wine. The Ile de Beauté wines from the estates of Antoine Arena, Robert Skalli, and Yves Leccia stand out notably among this production.

The grape varieties authorized for the Ile de Beauté Protected Geographical Indication are numerous and representative of the vines grown on the island: Aleatico, Barbarossa, Carignan, Ganson, Gramon, Lledoner Pelut, Mourvèdre, Nielluccio, Portan, Tempranillo, Ugni, Vermentino, Biancu Gentile, Codivarta, Morrastel, as well as many other grape varieties common on the mainland.

The wines of the Isle of Beauty can be divided into two types. Varietal wines are local wines sold under a brand name or estate name. Primeur local wines, released starting on the third Thursday of October, best express their flavor profiles and are intended for immediate enjoyment.