The best wines from Corsica in France

Corsica is a true wine island. More than half of its surface consists of vineyards. They are in the bright sun, but receive welcome cooling from the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, the wines of Corsica have a leaner, fresher character than you might expect from such a southern region. They are exported on a very modest scale.

Check out our two wines from Corsica

Wine has been produced on Corsica for 6,000 years. Focais, Romans, and even Italians pressed grapes there for centuries. The island was only sold to France in 1768. To this day, traces of the Italian past can be seen in the wine growing industry. For example, in the grape varieties that are planted there.

Wine making on Corsica has not always been smooth sailing. Halfway through the 20th century, there was little left of the wine growing industry on Corsica. That changed in the 1960s. Bulk wine producers took over the vineyards and started producing large volumes. They have since disappeared. More serious winemakers have the upper hand. They make quality wines that are mainly drunk in France itself. There is little export of Corsican wine.

The vineyards are located on all kinds of soils, from granite to chalk and from clay to sandstone. Most vineyards are located on the slopes of the hills of Corsica. Only in the east of the island are the vineyards flatter and therefore easier to work. The wines from this region are therefore slightly cheaper. Most wine is made under the appellation AOC Corse or de. Wines that do not comply with the rules of this appellation (for example because other grape varieties are used) are marketed as Île de Beauté IGP.

A characteristic of Corsican wines is that they are generally slim and tight. This applies to both white and red. You will not find any 'thick' commercial wines here. They generally have a fairly high acidity and can be minerally. These are wines for connoisseurs.

Corsican has three grapes that are typical of the island. The red Nielluccio is related to the Sangiovese, a legacy from the Italian past. The red Ajaccio comes from Corsica itself. The Ajaccio grapes are perhaps the best wines on the island. Other unknown (pseudo)indigenous varieties are Carcajolo Nero and Morescone.

For white wine, Vermentino is the local specialty. It is also popular on the Italian island of Sardinia, further away, and is called 'Rolle' in Provence. If you want, you can find plenty of wine from Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache or Merlot on Corsica. We currently have two wines from Corsica in our range. You can view all our wines from Corsica here.