Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, located between the southeast coast of Provence and the west coast of Tuscany. Although it is closer to Italy, Corsica has been under French rule since 1769 and is one of the 26 regions of France. The island's Italian origins are evident in its wines, which are mainly made from the classic Italian Grapes Vermentino and Sangiovese (known here as Rolle and Nielluccio respectively). Despite its remoteness, Corsican winemakers have amassed an impressive and diverse portfolio of grape varieties - there are very few places on earth where Pinot Noir, Tempranillo and Barbarossa grow side by side.
More than 40 of them, mostly of Spanish, Italian and French origin, are allowed to be used in quality wines. Despite this wonderful diversity, most of them are only used in IGP wines; only a small handful of varieties are used in Corsican AOC wines (see French wine labels). Just as Corsica's Italian history is evident in the local wines, so is the French connection. The classic grape varieties of southern France are all present here to some extent; Grenache is a main ingredient in many Corsican red wines, and Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsaut and Carignan all play a supporting role.
Layers of colour in the sky before me: indigo, peach, salmon. In the rear-view mirror, the gold was catching fire. As I drove down through the lonely, Mistral-chilled vines of Babeau-Bouldoux towards nearby St-Chinian, I was thinking about what Christine Deleuze of Clos Bagatelle had just said. ‘When you came to visit 10 years ago,’ she reminded me, ‘you said we needed to wait another decade for a market breakthrough. Today you’ve said we need to wait another decade or two. So when, exactly, wil ...
Layers of colour in the sky before me: indigo, peach, salmon. In the rear-view mirror, the gold was catching fire. As I drove down through the lonely, Mistral-chilled vines of Babeau-Bouldoux towards nearby St-Chinian, I was thinking about what Christine Deleuze of Clos Bagatelle had just said. ‘When you came to visit 10 years ago,’ she reminded me, ‘you said we needed to wait another decade for a market breakthrough. Today you’ve said we need to wait another decade or two. So when, exactly, wil ...
Claude took over Champagne Taittinger, which was founded by his father Pierre Taittinger in 1932, in 1960 following the death of his brother, François. He served first as managing director and then president of the company until 2005. During his tenure, he grew Champagne Taittinger from a niche label into a brand with international scale. Moreover, as one of the pioneers of the broader Champagne category’s international success during the 20th century, Claude has been credited with taking France ...
