Corsica Flashcards by Steven Ellair, WSET Level 3, FWS

What is the Italian grape name of Sciaccarello?

Mammolo

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What is the dominant grape in Muscat du Cap Corse?

Muscat à Petit Grains

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What is the dominant red grape in Ajaccio?

Sciaccarello

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What is the dominant white grape in Patrimonio?

Vermentino

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What is the dominant red grape in Patrimonio?

Nielluccio

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T or F? Corsica is closer to Italy than France.

True

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How many sub-appellations lie within the regional Vin de Corse AOC?

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What is the soil type on Corsica’s east coast?

marly/sand mixed with granite

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What is the soil type in Ajaccio?

Granite

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What is the soil type in Patrimonio?

limestone/clay

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What is the soil type in Cap Corse?

schist

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What is Corsica’s largest AOC by size?

Vin de Corse AOC

This AOC accounts for around 80% of all AOC wine.

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Where are Corsica’s vineyards located?

along the coastline

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What is the climate of Corsica?

Mediterranean with oceanic and alpine influences

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What is the most widely planted red grape in Corsica?

Nielluccio (Sangiovese)

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Nielluccio is a synonym for what Italian grape?

Sangiovese

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What is the principal white grape of the Corsican AOC of Patrimonio?

100% Vermentino

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What AOC is for VdNs on Corsica?

Muscat du Cap Corse

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What is the regional AOC of Corsica?

Vin de Corse/Corse AOC

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What is Corsica’s most planted white grape variety?

Vermentino with 17% of total plantings

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What is the weather like in Corsica?

hotter and drier than mainland France

little diurnal temperature swings

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Why do the vineyards of Corsica ring the shoreline?

The interior is extremely mountainous which sometimes extend all the way to the coast

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Where is Corsica located?

It is an Island in the Mediterranean Sea
* 100 miles southwest of France
* 50 miles west of Italy
* 7 miles north of Sardinia

Who has had control of Corsica?

Phocaeans > Rome > Saracens/Moors > Pisa > Genoa > France

What red grapes are in the IGP wines of Corsica?

All AOC grapes plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot

What is Sciaccerello also known as?

Mammolo

What is Corsica's most widely planted red grape?

Nielluccio (Sangiovese)

What is the white grape Ugni Blanc also known as?

Trebbiano

What is Corsica's most planted white grape?

Vermentino Can Produce: - Lively + aromatic wine - Fat + round wine

What soils are on the east coast of Corsica?

Marly sand mixed with granite Light, fresh fruit forward white, red and rosé

What is the soil and the red grape that grows well in the soil of the Ajaccio AOC? What kind of wines does it produce?

High concentration of granite Native grape Sciaccarello does well here Produces richer and more full bodied wines than anywhere else on the island

What is the soil of Patrimonio?

Limestone and clay Nielluccio (Sangiovese) works well here Fruit forward full bodied and reds perform well Herb-scented is a characteristic

What is the soil and the grape that grows well in Cap Corse?

The soil is schist Good for Vermentino as is the cooler climate Low rainfall and strong winds encourage sweet fortified wines

What is the rainfall in Corsica?

Average is 29" per year | Very little rain falls during the month of August and September

How much sunshine does Corsica get?

between 2,470-2,885 hrs/yr | sea absorbs and radiates it back at night reducing diurnal swing

Does Corsica produce more red or white wine?

Red | but rosé is most-produced style in both AOC and IGP

What IGP is shared among the Rhône, Provence and Corsica?

IGP Méditérranée

What is Corsica's largest AOC by volume and production?

Vin de Corse / Corse AOC, it covers the entire island

What is Corsica's island wide IGP?

The IGP Île de Beauté

Does Corsica produce more AOC or IGP wine?

IGP (63%) | AOC only represents only about 30%

How much Corsican wine does the IGP Île de Beauté produce?

63% of all Corsican wine | Note: a small amount of wine goes into IGP Méditérranée

What is the principal white grape of the Ajaccio AOC?

Vermentino

What is the principal red grape of the Patrimonio AOC?

Nielluccio

What are the production numbers in Corsica?

4 AOCs, 5 DGCs and 2 IGPs Wine Production AOC - 30% IGP - 63% Vins Sans IG - 10%

What was Corsica's first AOC?

Patrimonio | 1968

What issues did Corsica face in the 19th and 20th centuries?

1. Phylloxera in 1887 1. two world wars

When did Corsica become French?

* 1768 Genoa relinquished control * The future Emperor Napoleon was born here to Corsican vinyeard owners in 1769 in Ajaccio * Under Napoleon's rule Corsica was allowed to export wine and tobacco duty free throughout France

Who brought a clone of the Sangiovese grape to Corsica?

The Italian City/State of Pisa brought the grape and later named it Nielluccio

What are the vine training styles in Corsica?

* traditionally it was Gobelet style * more modern styles are single guyot and cordon training styles | More Modern styles are Single Guyot and Cordon de Royat

What are the irrigation rules in Corsica?

Largely prohibited (is prohibited in Patrimonio) | Only allowed under special conditions and by special request in all AOC's

What are some threats against Corsican vines?

1. Prone to pest attack (cicadas) 1. Esca (trunk disease) 1. Flavescence dorée (bacterial)

What are the characteristics of the Corsica regional AOC?

Covers entire Island but production primarily focused on east coast Accounts for 80% of all AOC wine produced.

What are the primary grapes of Vin de Corse AOC?

* Reds and rosé: min 50% Nielluccio, Sciacarello and Grenache * White: 75% Vermentino

What are the blending requirements in the Ajaccio AOC?

* Mostly medium-bodied red and rosé with at least 40% Sciaccarello * White must be at least 80% Vermentino

What are the characteristics of the Patrimonio AOC?

* Located on north coast and was Corsica's first AOC * Reds and rosés primaily Nielluccio * Whites 100% Vermentino

What are the characteristics of the Muscat du Cap Corse AOC?

VdN on the north peninsula Wines are 100% Muscat à Petit Grains Fortified white VdN Between 15 - 18% ABV and RS > 9%

What are the five DGCs of the Vin de Corse/Corse AOC and where are they located?

5 DGCs - Corse Coteaux du Cap Corse (North) - Corse Calvi (Northwest) - Corse Sartène (Southwest) - Corse Porto Vecchio (Southeast) - Corse Figari (South)