Part II · Terroir

Corsica

[KOR-si-kuh]

Fierce individuality rooted in pre-French viticulture; Nielluccio rivals Sangiovese at its best.

The Region

Corsica is a mountainous Mediterranean island whose wines show fierce individuality rooted in pre-French viticulture. Nielluccio (a Sangiovese relative) rivals its Italian cousin at its best, and Sciaccarellu and Vermentino thrive on the island's granite and schist soils.

History

Corsica's vineyards date to Phocaean and Roman settlement, with Italian influence enduring centuries of Genoese rule. French integration and the 20th-century cooperative system shaped production; recent decades have seen a rise in quality, terroir-driven estates.