Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea located between France and Italy, although it is administratively a French territory.
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea located between France and Italy, although it is administratively a French territory. It is one of the 18 regions of France and an island in the Corse-du-Sud department.
Corsica has a wine history dating back to ancient times when Phoenicians and Greeks first settled on the island and began producing wine.
As a wine region, Corsica has been in existence for thousands of years. When the Phoenicians and Greeks first settled the island, they planted grape vines and began producing wine. The Romans later conquered the island, followed by occupation by Vandals in 456 AD, Arabs from 806 to 983 AD and Genoese from 1357 to 1768. Today, a number of different varieties are grown on Corsica: Sciaccarello (also known as Grenache), Bianco Gentile (Vermentino), Nielluccio or Sangiovese (known locally as Cagnulari or Bovale di Spagna), Carcajolo Nero (a red-fleshed grape), Minustellu (a white grape) and Aleatico. Many wineries in Corsica also produce wine blends where several varieties are used together.
The most common grape varieties in Corsican wines are Vermentino, Grenache, Nielluccio (a type of Sangiovese), and Sciaccarellu.
- Vermentino (also called Rolle)
- Grenache (also called Cannonau)
- Nielluccio, a type of Sangiovese
- Sciaccarellu
Famous Corsican wines are definitely Patrimonio AOC with its fresh reds, whites and rosés, as well as the sweet muscats from Cap Corse AOC.
Before we get into muscat, this is a French region known for wine production, despite the fact that about 80% of its land is classified as forest. It is also home to some pretty insane soil conditions in the form of limestone and granite from volcanoes that have erupted over the centuries. This can make it difficult for grape growing because it makes things harder for vines to take up moisture and nutrients from the ground. Of course this does not stop would-be vintners! As far back as Roman times, winemakers have been trying to coax out unique flavors that could only come from such hardy grapes.
But enough about Corsica’s history. Let’s talk about Muscat wines: Patrimonio has a very popular variety called Clos Culombu and Cap Corse one called Cap Corso d’Orcia. Clos Culombu is easy to spot because it has dark green leaves with white dots on them, while cap Corso d’Orcia looks like an overgrown rose bush (it also goes by this name). Both are delicious and work well all year round but during the springtime, they’re best enjoyed as an aperitif or dessert wine with food (in other words, they’re perfect when paired with cheese or seafood). We love Patrimonio more than Clos Culombu because it has lots of bubbles which makes you feel like you’re drinking champagne even though it’s actually just red wine!