7 BEST CORSICAN WINE AND FOOD PAIRINGS

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Brimming with a wealth of culinary treasures and long-established gastronomic traditions Corsica is a popular European destination among enthusiasts of good food and wine. Besides providing ample sensory pleasures, exploring new flavours is also a great way to connect with the region’s history, customs, and people.

To help you bring about the most rewarding Corsican gourmet experiences, I recommend seven amazing wine and food pairings to try when visiting the island, easy to recreate back home. These classic matches of the best local products complement each other perfectly granting an authentic, delicious culinary adventure with flavours impossible to forget.

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CORSICAN WINES

With abundant sunshine, mild winters and a diversity of distinct micro-terroirs, Corsica boasts ideal conditions for vine growing and winemaking. Its viniculture traditions go back centuries but it is since the 1980’s that this exciting industry has been experiencing a true revival.

Today, the island’s vineyards are divided into 9 Appellations (AOPs) each featuring unique climatic conditions, varying soils and wine styles. The famous AOP Patrimonio and AOP Ajaccio are known as ‘Cru de Corse’ Appellations.

The main grape varieties cultivated in Corsica include Niellucciu and Sciaccarellu for red and rose wines, Vermentinu for the white, and Muscat à Petits Grains primarily vinified as a dessert wine. However, there are over 30 different plant species farmed throughout the island.

Focused on ecological production in accordance with nature, the local growers eagerly turn towards organic or biodynamic practices crafting wines with a soul that flawlessly transmit their gripping identity. 

CORSICAN CUISINE

Corsican cuisine plays a key role in the island’s rich cultural heritage reflecting its turbulent history and complex geography. Drawing on Italian and French influences the local gastronomy focuses on fresh ingredients, robust flavours, simplicity and authenticity.

Mountain cooking of the largely pastoral population features staples such as chestnut, the primary food source during famines, charcuterie, soups and stews, and strong cheese. Coastal areas abound in fish and seafood, whereas freshwater rivers are home to endemic trout. Superb olive oil, aromatic honey and fruit preserves often accompany the traditional Corsican dishes.

7 BEST CORSICAN WINE AND FOOD PAIRINGS

1. VERMENTINU WHITE WINE – MUSSELS FROM ETANG DE DIANE

Plump mussels sourced from l’Etang de Diane on Corsica’s east coast deliver salty flavours of the sea balanced by the meat’s delicate sweetness, with hints of shallot, garlic and parsley. Known on the island for their exceptional quality, the mules from Diane demand a worthy wine partner to accompany this traditional seafood dish.

Vermentinu is Corsica’s flagship white grape variety producing medium-bodied, somewhat oily wines characterized by vibrant, aromatic flavours with crisp acids and pronounced minerality. Very well-adapted to the sunny Mediterranean terroir, this vigorous plant promises an unforgettable must-taste sensory experience for all lovers of top-tier whites.

USEFUL TIP – Moules Marinières with the Corsican Vermentinu make an easy-to-prepare-at-home meal but you may also head to Lake Diane where an excellent seafood restaurant serves fresh shellfish with outstanding views of the pond.

2. NIELLUCCIU ROSE WINE – CORSICAN SHEEP CHEESE

On your holiday get-together treat your guests to a Corsican cheese board served with a glass of chilled Niellucciu rose wine.

Corsica is known for its delicious cheeses featured on every local menu as the key ingredient of traditional dishes. For millennia, long-standing pastoral traditions among the mountain-based population were passed on from father to son. Local products are predominantly crafted from sheep or goat’s milk with distinct flavours and textures characterizing each of the island’s regions. Venaco, Sartène and Bastelica areas offer soft, mild-tasting ewe’s cheese well suited to accompany a richer rose.

Niellucciu, the main red grape variety from Patrimonio, but also Cap Corse, Balagne, and eastern Corsica produces well-structured, fruity rose wines designed for meals. Slight acidity cuts through the creamy texture of the cheese highlighting its unique palate.

USEFUL TIP – when creating your cheese platter don’t forget about a freshly baked crispy baguette and the Corsican fig jam available in every supermarket and shop selling food.

3. NIELLUCCIU RED WINE – WILD BOAR STEW

Matching the Niellucciu red with wild boar creates a perfect marriage of two iconic Corsican flavours present on every insular table.

The wild boar stew, known as Civet de Sanglier, is Corsica’s staple dish enjoyed in both summer and winter. Mixed with onion, garlic, carrots and aromatic herbs, the meat is simmered with local red wine or eau de vie until tender. This hearty casserole is usually served with fresh pasta but you may also pair it with mashed potatoes or polenta.

With its red berry aromas and spicy notes the robust Niellucciu from AOP Patrimonio beautifully complements the rich, nutty flavours of wild boar. This opulent culinary delicacy reveals Corsica’s time-honoured hunting traditions closely intertwined with the nature-affirming local culture.

USEFUL TIP – You may substitute the wild boar meat with game of your choice or even with good-quality beef.

4. SCIACCARELLU ROSE WINE – GRILLED CORSICAN TROUT

Pairing the thirst-quenching Sciaccarellu rose with the Corsican river trout reveals yet another face of the island’s exciting gastronomic tradition.

The crystal-clear water of mountain torrents abounds in trout. The fishing season is ardently regulated, it starts in March and lasts until the third Saturday in September. Traditionally, the trout is stuffed with brocciu, Corsica’s most celebrated cheese, or cooked with herbs of the maquis. When grilled, it is accompanied by Mediterranean vegetables and white rice.

Mainly cultivated on the granitic soils of the south, the Sciaccarellu grape variety yields wines that truly suit the succulent flavours of trout’s delicate meat. Vibrant, juicy, and crisp, with a round texture and a pale pink hue, this refreshing summer beverage will not overpower your meal but wonderfully enhance a blissful barbeque evening with friends.

5. SCIACCARELLU RED WINE – CORSICAN CHARCUTERIE

Corsican cured meats washed down with the magnificent Sciaccarellu red embodies the essence of local gastronomy.

Charcuterie Corse is made from porcu nustrale, a local breed of pig roaming free on the mountain slopes in the heart of the island. A healthy diet rich in wild chestnuts and access to natural habitats ensure not just animals’ welfare but also the highest quality meat exploding with flavours. In your meat platter include Coppa, Lonzu, and Prisuttu.

With its incredible aromatic complexity, herby notes, and smooth tannins, Sciaccarellu, also known as the Pinot Noir of Corsica, matches perfectly the unmistakable smoky palate of traditional charcuterie. To find the best expression of this refined, elegant wine head to the southwestern parts of the island where sunny, granite-based terroir magnifies Sciaccarellu’s unique characteristics.

USEFUL TIP – Pickles and dried fruit always go great with Corsican cold meats.

6. RAPPU DESSERT WINE – DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

The Corsican Rappu served with a dark chocolate dessert is a match made in heaven able to satisfy even the most demanding palates.

Pairing wine with chocolate is not an easy task due to the unmatched diversity of flavour profiles in both product categories. Different styles, aromas, and production methods, all have an impact and must be considered when creating a meal.

Bitter notes in dark chocolate need balancing out to allow more subtle, understated tastes to emerge. Rappu, made from the aromatic Aleatico variety, is a delicious fortified sweet wine capable not just of supplementing the desert but also of elevating the pairing to become a culinary masterpiece. Its seductive multi-vintage bouquet of black fruit, coca, myrtle and spice aromas are complemented by bright flavours of honey.

USEFUL TIP – Don’t leave the island without a bottle of Rappu. Drink it chilled on a winter evening to be transported to the sun-basked shores of Corsica.

7. MUSCAT DU CAP CORSE DESSERT WINE – FIADONE (THE CORSICAN CHEESECAKE)

For those with a sweet tooth, Fiadone, Corsica’s version of cheesecake, paired with a glass of Muscat du Cap Corse is not to be missed.

This classic dessert is made using the island’s famous brocciu cheese, together with eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and sometimes myrtle liqueur. Light and moist, it is a perfect summer cake easy enough to make at home. In Corsica, you will find it in most patisseries and restaurants.

The mouth-watering Muscat à Petits Grains dessert wine from the northern Muscat Du Cap Corse appellation is a wonderful partner to Fiadone. Pale-gold in colour, rich in citrus and candied fruit notes, it also reveals delicate acidity and remarkable freshness. To create the most generous translation of Muscat, berries are handpicked at full maturity just as they begin to shrivel.

USEFUL TIP – Muscat may also be savoured on its own as an aperitif or a post-meal drink.

GUIDED WINE TASTING TOURS IN CORSICA

CALVI AND ILE ROUSSE WINE TASTING TOUR

• 3-hour-long tour of vineyards and wineries in the Balagne region
• Wine tastings
• Picnic with fresh local products
• English and French-speaking guide
• Possibility to select pick-up in Calvi or Ile Rousse

CALVI WINE TASTING TOUR

• 3-hour-long tour of vineyards and wineries around Calvi
• Wine tastings
• Picnic prepared by a local chef
• English and French-speaking guide
• Pickup from Calvi

PATRIMONIO WINE TASTING TOUR

• 3-hour-long tour of vineyards and wineries around Patrimonio and Saint Florent
• Wine tastings
• Picnic with fresh products in the vines
• English and French-speaking guide
• Meeting point coordinates available from the organizers

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