Here, there are no neatly organised wine routes, but rather dusty mountain roads, unconventional winemakers and grape varieties you rarely come across elsewhere. We’re in Corsica, where the winegrowers pay little heed to trends, rules and other French frills.
Text: Château Petri Image: René de Waal
Welcome to Corsica, or The Isle of Beauty according to the locals. This island in the Mediterranean has been part of France since 1768, but nowadays it has a separate administrative status (Local Authority of Corsica) As a result, it enjoys greater autonomy than the regions on the mainland. With Italy just around the corner, this has given rise to a wine culture that combines French precision with Italian flair. The island is rugged and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The vineyards benefit from abundant sunshine, as well as from the cooling sea breezes and variations in altitude, which lend them a freshness. Well-known international grape varieties play hardly any role here; the focus is primarily on local varieties.
Corsica isn’t the sort of place for pre-planned wine tours; instead, it invites you to explore it for yourself. You arrange tastings or purchases directly with the winegrower, or simply pop round. And that’s precisely what makes it special: you taste wine at the producer’s own home. Ideally at the kitchen table, with a view of the sea or the mountains. For WINELIFE, that’s reason enough to explore the island, especially now that the AOP Corse is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
We’re driving round the whole island in a hire car. There’s so much to see, but do be careful: the winding roads and hairpin bends require you to concentrate whilst driving.
Fancy reading more? This article also appears in WINELIFE issue 101, shop here.
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