Everything contributes to make of Corsica a wine paradise: an island bathed by sun, where the climate, the landscape, the soil, and the history are in harmony to form a country as nowhere else, and to give to its wines all its strength and its island character.

Corsica wines were not "born" in August, 1975 in a wine-producing cellar of the Oriental Plain becoming famous by its too much sweetened wine!

Vine growing goes back when Phoceans introduced vine at Alalia, now Aléria, approximately 2500 years ago, making the Corsican vineyard the eldest of all the metropolitan vineyards. Sunk into oblivion with the fall of the Roman Empire, the vineyard is again cultivated by Pisans who market the local wine as mass wine!

Corsica becomes a French colony by the Treaty of Versailles in 1768, and develops its vineyard which grows up to 20 000 hectares in the middle of the XIXth century.

Phylloxera wreaks havoc on its vineyard, and both World Wars decimate its wine growers. It is only in the 80s that the vineyard is reborn of its ashes. Planted in favorable spots, it finds its identity thanks to the varieties of the island vines, and the tenacity and know-how of its experienced wine growers who will ally tradition and modernity.


Unusual Corsica Vines

Fourteen varieties, among which three island sorts, enable to assemble Corsican wines giving to them all their peculiarity : the Sciaccarellu, the most Corsican of the island vines, particularly present in the granitic part of the island: Aiacciu and Sartè; Niellucciu, which largely contributed to the reputation of Patrimoniu wines, region of calcareous soils where it blooms to the full; today, we find it also in Oriental Plain; Vermentinu, called malmsey wine of Corsica, produces white wines of high quality; Muscadelle wine with small grapes harvested in Corsica has nothing unique because it is present on all round the Mediterranean Sea, on the other hand, the sweet wine produced as muscadelle wine of Capi Corsu, is particularly a success! Some less known island vines continue to give typified wines: Alteicu, Barbarossa, Codivarta, biancu Gentile, Genovese, Riminese. Let us add foreign vines like Chardonnay, noble vine giving the best white wines, Merlot bringing flexibility and curvature, Cabernet-Sauvignon very tannic, Pinot Noir delicate and powerful. Grenache, Syrah, Chenin, Cinsault complete the palette of vines offered to the modern wine growers.


What future for Corsican wines ?

Today, the surface of the Corsican vineyard covers 7000 hectares and there is no vast program of plantation in sight, the current trend being rather for uprooting! Here, we made our "cultural revolution" twenty years ago!

However, there is a problem of sale due to the national wine overproduction. For example, wines of Bordeaux or Côtes du Rhône are sold 1.50 euro in hypermarkets, at this price there is no margin for transport, bottling or handling! A bottle of Corsican wine, first level AOC or local wine, is sold to approximately 3 euros, which leads to big difficulties of marketing.

The large-scale distribution offers wines AOC with 4 or 5 references on their shelves; with strict contract conditions, the value for money is certain, they are channel products. As for the private cellars, they concern a network of cellarmen, up-market or theme restaurants, they are generally "niches" for enlightened amateurs. As for the international market, up to now, 2/3 of the production is sold outside the island, 1/3 of the volume towards Northern Europe: Scandinavia, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, and for a lesser volume towards the United States, Canada and Japan.

The sales of wines concern mainly whites, red and naturally rosé wines, these last ones provide 60 % of the sales of the overall volume, the value for money ratio being one of the most satisfactory, and it is also a question of summer symbol! As for Muscadelle wine, it remains another "confidential" wine because there is not enough demand, for example a dozen boxes for the USA!

According to Mister Bernard Sonnet of the Association C.I.V.C « the objective of our association is to strengthen the presence of Corsican wines outside by proposing products from more important or average cellars, and by attracting market loyalty like that of "upper-market" hypermarkets.

At the end of April, an assembly will be held in Aiacciu where 60 buyers from all round the world will be received by Corsican wine growers presenting their production. We have 450 producers including importers, cooperatives and particular cellars.

This meeting will enable to create some interest for Corsican wines, to increase the volume of the market thus compensating for the decline of sales in the island. »


The Wine Trail

Capi Corsu: One finds traditional vines: always-remarkable white wines sweet or dry.

Patrimoniu: registered in the Gottha of AOC Wines. Owes its quality to the micro-climate, and to Niellucciu and Vermentinu vines.

Oriental Coast: the vastest vineyard of the Island planted of productive vines without real strong character. Region of huge cooperatives.

Purtu Vecchju: Assemblage of Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu, and Grenache gives elegant red, fruity and dry whites stemming from Vermentinu.

Figari: the most ancient vineyard of France! Typically Corsican vines, Carcajolu Neru for example. Red or white wines, rosé wines of a great sharpness.

Sartè: well-rounded wines stemming from Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Barbarossa, Vertimentu vines.

Aiacciu: typical Corsican vineyard where Sciaccarellu blooms to the full giving aristocratic reds; Vermentinu gives floral whites.

Calvi: one of the ancient vinyards proposing fleshy red, sharp white and rosé wines.

Lisabetta STUDD