The local wines

The quality of the Corsican local wines symbolizes this new trend into the Corsican wine growing, and represents the ¾ of the production.

Often disparaged, these wines became a real economical and strategic stake in Corsica.

Thanks to the dynamism of the producers, but above all, thanks to involved cooperative cellars, which produce and market the main part of the volume (80%), this appellation is really surprising regarding its amazing value for money.

In this category “Corsican local wines”, we can notice 2 kinds of wines:

·      The varietal wines (“vins de cépages”) : local wines sold under domain names, like Niellucciu, Vermentinu, Sciaccarellu, and continental grape varieties names like the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot.

·      The local wines “primeurs”, marketed since the third Thursday of October, with an immediate consumption goal, synonym of pleasure.

Some figures:

• Area: 3.156 ha


• Production: 194 249,5 hl


• Output: 61 hl/ha


• Number of producers: 36 private cellars / 5 cooperative cellars / 1 SICA

 picture : www.monsieur-vin.fr (clos Canarelli)

The AOC are putting into question?

From now, the domains that produce the AOC may consider this new competence: the local wines.

As a whole, the local wines are targeting customers who are discovering the wines, or who are not looking for complexity.

The most common local wines are marketed in large-scale distribution. But these new appellations can also produce wines of very high quality! We can say that the AOC can be competed by the local wines, from the bottom but also from the top.

Corsican wines and gastronomy

Red wines

The strong red wines (as the Domaine Vico) perfectly match with dishes with high flavour: duck, meats with strong taste (beef, lamb, mutton…). We can also test them with exotic dishes composed of meat (couscous, tagine…). The red Corsican wines will also perfectly match with the famous Corsican cheeses (as the “tome de brebis”).

For the fruitiest red wines (as the Clos Canarelli) they will perfectly match with delicatessen, white meats, and also with the sweetest goat’s cheeses. 

(picture: http://www.magnifique.ca)

Rosé wines

            The trends are showing that the rosé wines are very popular, particularly during the aperitif time on summer. The French trend is the implementation of numerous establishments for evening-buffet (“bars à vins” for example). This concept is actually very popular in Corsica.

Nevertheless, the Corsican rosé wines (as the Clos Canarelli or the Clos d’Alzeto) can also be served with a lot of different dishes, thanks to their fruity taste that is ideal to enhance each flavour. Do not hesitate anymore to enjoy your fishes, your summer salads and your grilled meats with some Corsican rosé wines.

White wines

            The Corsican white wines are put in light by the biggest French sommeliers abroad. Without any doubt, the grape variety Vermentinu allows to product a lot of typical wines with a constant high quality.

Moreover, the contemporary food trends are matching with white wine: fishes, sushi, vegetables… Today, women are looking for wines of high quality, and the fair sex prefers the white wines.

Finally, we begin to understand that the white wine can also match with most of the cheeses (in a better way than the red wine). This recent discovery has to be taken in consideration in our country that counts thousands types of cheeses. For example, a typical Corsican cheese (the Brocciu) can perfectly be served with Corsican white wine! More information on: http://www.olivier-poussier.com/brocciu-les-blancs-corses-lui-vont-si-bien.html.

(picture: femme.planet.fr)

Presentation of the AOC

Today, we can observe in Corsica 9 “AOC” ( = guarantee of quality of wine ). Here is the classification:

•  2 main appellations:

AOC Ajaccio

Here was born the Sciaccarellu, a unique grape variety of high quality. It offers to the wines a singular almond flavour.

• Area: 242 ha.

• Output: 34,7 hl/ha.

• Production: 8157 hl.

• Number of producers: 12 private cellars

AOC  Patrimonio

A lot of hills are protecting the vineyards from the wind, but they still enjoy a good sunlight from the West. The wine growers had developed there an ancestral savoir-faire.

• Area: 907 ha.


• Production: 19491 hl.

• Output: 39hl/ha

• Number of producers: 35 private cellars

• 5 appellations from smaller places:

AOC Corse “Calvi” 

With a temperate weather, few frost and powerful wind, this vineyard looks like a beautiful garden well cultivated. The wines from there have a strong personality.

• Area: 276 ha.

• Output: 30,18 hl/ha.

• Production: 8141 hl.

• Number of producers: 12 private cellars 

 Photo: www.vinsdecorse.com

AOC Corse “Sartène”

Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Barbarossa, Vermentinu : they are all there; the authentic Corsican grape varieties. They offer red wines of high quality. The white wines are able to glorify the fishes from the Mediterranean Sea.

• Area: 163 ha.

• Production: 6590 hl

• Output: 43 hl/ha

• Number of producers: 10 private cellars

AOC Corse “Figari”

Protected by the church tower of Tarabucetta, this vineyard is the most southerner of the Corsica.

• Area: 130 ha

• Production: 4585 hl

• Output: 36,55 hl/ha.

• Number of producers: 6 private cellars

AOC Corse “Porto-Vecchio”

In the South, these original grape varieties Niellucciu and Sciaccarellu are giving rise to elegant red wines and to subtle rosé wines. The fishes’ lovers will enjoy the white wines (Vermentinu), which are dry and very fruity.

• Area: 89,74 ha.

• Production: 3220 hl

• Output: 38,27 hl/ha

• Number of producers: 6 private cellars

AOC Corse "Coteaux du Cap Corse"
The vineyards are hanging from small vertiginous terraces... The Coteaux du Cap Corse offer red wines laid down for a long time and white wines of high elegance.

• Area: 34.49 ha.

• Production: 845 hl

• Output: 32.81 hl/ha

• Number of producers: 5 private cellars

 - - -

If you want to buy one of these wonderful wines, here is an online shop where you would be able to find these different AOC : http://www.auxdelicescorses.com/produits-corses/pc/Vins-Corses-AOC-c24.htm

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The heritage of grape varieties

In Corsica, we count more than 30 kinds of grape varieties. Three of them can be distinguished: the Sciaccarellu, the Niellucciu and the Vermentinu. They represent noble varieties.

•  Sciaccarellu

If we say « Sciaccarellu », we want to say « crunchy under our teeth ». This term is also used when we talk about fruits (nuts...).

This dark grape variety is one of the main varieties of all the AOC red and rosé of Corsica, because it represents 15% of the areas.

 Geographical situation: This variety represents around 600 acres of the island. Situated in the West of the island, it represents a unique variety, which only exists in Corsica.  

 Characteristics: its smell reveals flavour of red fruits, with some notes of spices and undergrowth flowers. Its taste reveals a balance wine.

This variety allows the elaboration of rosé wines, with a pink-salmon coloration, and with a lot of fruity flavours.  

• Niellucciu

In Corsica, Niellu means « black, dark, strong ».  This dark variety is the principal of the island because it represents 35% of the areas. 

 Geographical situation: This grape variety represents more than 2000 acres on the island. We can mainly find it on Patrimonio (North).

Characteristics: The experts say that it owns a “nose of liquorice and hare’s fur”, and that it releases red fruits flavours.

The Niellucciu also allows creating rosé wines of high quality, very fruity, with a pink colour.

• Vermentinu

It is a white grape variety. It creates a high quality wine, which is considered as one of the best wines of the Mediterranean.

It represents 17% of the areas of the island.

Geographical situation: It fills more than 1150 acres in all the parts of Corsica. We can also find this variety in Italy.

Characteristics: Its smell is very dry, with floral flavours. Its taste is fine, balanced and powerful. We can incorporate it to red wine to create rosé wine of high quality. 

If you want more information about the grape varieties, you can visit the official website of the interprofessional committee of Corsican wines: www.vinsdecorse.com

 Photo: www.intothewine.fr 

Few history and data

History
     In Corsica, like in all the Mediterranean regions, the wine was introduced by the Greeks (6° century before J.C.).

     During the 19° century, some Corsican wines were exported to the French continent. We were able to find Corsican wines on the menus of some restaurants into the biggest cities (Paris, Marseille, Nice…). During the second-half of the 19° century, the Corsica suffered of the Phylloxéra, which devastated the vineyards all around the World. After this period and until the end of the Sixties, wine production was in lethargy.

    After the Algerian independence (1962), some winegrowers from North Africa went to Corsica. They brought capital and savoir-faire. The Algerian wines, with high degree of alcohol, were cut with French wines, with lower degree. The result of this mix was “table wine”, for the common consumption.

     Until the middle of the sixties, France used to consume a lot of wine, but it was in majority “table wine” of bad quality.

      The Frenchs tried to get around the problem of the loss of the Algeria, producing shearing wines in Corsica.

     But some Corsican winegrowers wanted to produce wine of better quality, corresponding to a National and International demand. So, the consumption decreased in terms of quantity, but the demand of “good wine” increased. 

      We observed a new tendency: consume less but consume smarter. This quality process avoided the development of the AOC (guarantee of quality of wine).

     (photo: http://www.skalli.fr/)

Production

     In 2012, around 335,000 hectolitres of wines were produced in Corsica. It included:

-12,000 hl of AOC
-10,000 hl of local wines
-The rest: table wine

The production by colours in Corsica:

- -50% of red wines

- -36% of rosé wines

- -12% of white wines

- -2% of Muscat

Selling

             35% of Corsican wines are sold on the Local market, 45% on the National market, and 20% of the production is exported abroad (principal markets: USA, Germany, and Belgium).