📍 Corsica
A mountainous French island: 355,486 inhabitants, over 2,500 hours of sun a year, and Patrimonio as its first AOC.
Corsica is a mountainous French island in the Mediterranean (355,486 inhabitants, 2023). Most vineyards are coastal, on granite, schist and limestone, with over 2,500 hours of sun a year. The main grapes are Nielluccio, Sciaccarello and Vermentino. The island's first AOC is Patrimonio (1968), the island-wide Vin de Corse dates from 1976, and about 60 % of its wines are rosé.
An old crystalline massif lies in the west and south, Alpine schists in the north-east, and limestone around Patrimonio. The climate is coastal Mediterranean: isotherms of 14–17 °C, rainfall 600–700 mm, with the tramontane, mistral and libeccio winds. Cap Corse is a narrow peninsula about 40 km long.
Vin de Corse covers 110 communes and 2,760 ha (2008); white wines need at least 75 % Vermentino, and red yields are up to 45 hl/ha. Patrimonio has 410 ha: reds are at least 90 % Nielluccio, whites 100 % Vermentino. Ajaccio was recognised on 03.04.1984 (about 250 ha), and Muscat du Cap Corse at the end of 1997: Muscat à petits grains, grape sugar of at least 252 g/l, finished wine 15–18 % alcohol. The IGP Île de Beauté has existed since 1982 and gives about 60 % of the island's wine.
Why it matters to you. According to VIVC, Nielluccio is the same as Sangiovese, yet the official texts treat it as an island native. Corsican wine is not only red: rosé makes up about 60 % of Vin de Corse.
Facts
| Country | France |
|---|---|
| Region | island, 2 départements, over 2,500 hours of sun |
| Registered | Patrimonio — 1968; Vin de Corse — 1976 |
| Cultivars | Nielluccio, Sciaccarello, Vermentino |
| Main use | Vin de Corse: about 60 % rosé |
How it connects to Wine
📍 Corsica ← grows in ← 🍇 Sangiovese → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🗺️ French wine
- Appellations
- 📜 Île de Beauté, 📜 Ajaccio, 📜 Muscat du Cap Corse, 📜 Vin de Corse, 📜 Patrimonio, 📜 Corsica (olive oil)
- Grapes
- 🍇 Sangiovese, 🍇 Sciaccarello, 🍇 Carcajolo Blanc, 🍇 Carcajolo Noir, 🍇 Nielluccio, 🍇 Brustiano Faux, 🍇 Biancu Gentile, 🍇 Codivarta, 🍇 Brustiano Bianco, 🍇 Vermentino
Frequently asked questions
Where is Corsica and how much vineyard does it have?
Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean. Vin de Corse covers 2,760 ha (2008) and IGP Île de Beauté 3,150 ha.
Which grapes are the main ones in Corsica?
Reds are Nielluccio and Sciaccarello, whites Vermentino; the official texts call the first two native to the island.
What is the island's first AOC?
Patrimonio, recognised in spring 1968; it covers 7 communes of Haute-Corse (the Nebbio area).
Is it true that Corsica mostly makes red wine?
No. About 60 % of Vin de Corse and about 50 % of IGP Île de Beauté is rosé.
Is it true that Muscat du Cap Corse is an ordinary dry wine?
No. It is a sweet vin doux naturel: fermentation is stopped with spirit, strength is 15–18 %, and sugar at least 90 g/l.
What to read next
- 📜 Ajaccio — Dry still red, rosé and white AOC wines from 36 communes around Ajaccio in western Corsica, above all from Sciaccarello.
- 🍇 Sangiovese — Italy's most planted grape, the base of Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.
- 📜 Corsica (olive oil) — An EU protected designation of origin for mellow olive oil from nearly all of Corsica; seven local cultivars, the most widespread being Sabine; aromas of almond and hay.
- 📜 Muscat du Cap Corse — A sweet fortified Muscat wine from Corsica's northern cape.
- 📜 Île de Beauté — Local wines (IGP) of Corsica; the name means "island of beauty".
Similar
📍 Jura · 📍 Languedoc-Roussillon · 📍 Rhône Valley · 📍 Savoie · 📍 South West France · 📍 Provence
What it includes
Sources
- eAmbrosia — технічне досьє / єдиний документ: PDO «Corse / Vin de Corse» (Ares(2011)1305134)
- OJ C 401, 18.10.2022: єдиний документ PDO «Patrimonio»
- OJ C 340, 27.9.2023: єдиний документ IGP «Île de Beauté»
- eAmbrosia — технічне досьє / єдиний документ: PDO «Muscat du Cap Corse» (Ares(2011)1358483)
- INSEE: Dossier complet — Région de Corse (94)
- VIVC: паспорт 10680 Sangiovese (синонім Nielluccio)