科西嘉島，這片曾歸屬於意大利、現屬於法國的野性之島，保留著頑固的個性混合體。其特有的土壤包括遠北和東部的片麻岩、沖積層和沙土，帕特里莫尼奧和島嶼遠南部的石灰岩，以及西部和南部的花崗岩。
科西嘉的氣候比法國大陸任何地方都更為乾燥和陽光充足，尤其是乾旱的夏季，使島上種植的一切風味更加濃郁。島上的葡萄品種豐富，包括紅葡萄品種尼魯齊歐（Niellucciu, 桑喬維塞Sangiovese）、夏卡雷洛（Sciaccarellu, 曼莫洛Mammolo）、埃勒甘特（Elegante, 歌海娜Grenache）；白葡萄品種則有韋門蒂努（Vermentinu）、比安庫·傑蒂萊（Biancu Gentile）、小粒白麝香（Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains）。
1960年代，當法國失去阿爾及利亞後，許多熟練的種植者（皮埃諾瓦）遷移到當時瘧疾盛行的科西嘉東海岸。到了1976年，科西嘉的葡萄園面積增加了近四倍，幾乎全部種植了大規模生產的葡萄品種。隨著來自布魯塞爾和巴黎的大量補貼，島上的酒窖現已設備完善，酿酒師常在大陸的葡萄酒學院受訓，葡萄園面積大幅減少，種植了更優質且日益本土化的葡萄品種。即便如此，島上生產的大部分有趣的葡萄酒也主要在當地銷售，受到遊客需求的推動，價格有所提升。最常見的出口酒是基礎IGP玫瑰酒，只因科西嘉誘人的名稱“美麗島”而聞名，現在島上近一半的葡萄酒都以此名出售。
然而，越來越多的科西嘉葡萄酒是認真的產品，重新發現了在堅硬的傳統葡萄品種和適合其生長的岩石山丘中的本源。大多數葡萄園都在海岸附近，因為山區內陸地形過於崎嶇，不適合葡萄栽培。尼魯齊歐葡萄（Niellucciu, 托斯卡納的桑喬維塞Sangiovese）占島上葡萄種植的近三分之一，主導北部帕特里莫尼奧產區，生產一些科西嘉最佳且壽命最長的葡萄酒：堅實的隆河風格紅酒、平衡的白酒，以及高品質的甜型麝香葡萄酒。
科西嘉島上較柔和的夏卡雷洛葡萄（Sciaccarellu, 托斯卡納的曼莫洛Mammolo），約佔島上葡萄園的15%，主要與島上最古老的葡萄酒產區相關，特別是位於花崗岩西海岸的首都阿雅克肖、卡爾維和薩爾泰讷地區。這種葡萄釀製的酒款口感柔和卻辛辣，包括易飲的紅酒和儘管酒精含量高，但依然活潑的玫瑰酒。
科西嘉的甜酒，不論是麝香或當地的韋門蒂努（Vermentinu, 北島稱為“科西嘉馬爾武瓦西Malvoisie de Corse”），也是卡普科西嘉（Cap Corse）長北端專長，品質卓越。在這裡的羅利亞諾（Rogliano）附近，還生產一種名為拉普（Rappu）的濃郁甜紅酒，使用阿萊亞提科（Aleatico）葡萄。
在科西嘉島北端生產的葡萄酒被標記為卡普科西嘉山坡葡萄酒（Coteaux du Cap Corse）。韋門蒂努是科西嘉所有AOC產區的主要白葡萄品種，也釀製出風味從強烈芳香到鋼鐵般柑橘的幹白葡萄酒，隨著年份增長而變得更加美味。
科西嘉西北部的卡爾維（Calvi）使用夏卡雷洛（Sciaccarellu）、尼魯齊歐（Niellucciu）和韋門蒂努（Vermentinu），以及一些國際葡萄品種，生產酒體豐滿的餐酒；菲加里（Figari）和波爾托-韋奇奧（Porto-Vecchio）在南部也是如此。這是一個幹渴的國度，其葡萄酒雖然不能稱為解渴的，但菲加里和薩爾泰讷似乎已經向現代、果香清新的方向發展。
科西嘉平原葡萄酒通常在阿萊里亞（Aléria）和基索尼亞（Ghisonaccia）東海岸平原附近釀造；這些通常是便宜的本地和國際品種混釀。然而，更有趣的是重新發現的本土品種，如莫雷斯科內（Morescone）、卡卡喬盧（Carcaghjolu）、卡卡喬盧·比安庫（Carcaghjolu Biancu）、熱諾韋塞（Genovese）、羅斯拉·比安卡（Rossula Bianca）、文塔喬（Vintaghju）、庫阿塔喬（Cualtacciu）、布魯斯提亞努（Brustianu）和米努斯泰盧（Minustellu, 可能是格拉西亞諾Graciano）。這些品種在AOC混釀中只允許非常小的比例，因此許多島上最佳的葡萄酒作為法國酒（Vins de France）出售。到目前為止，這些品種主要在海平面附近種植，但預計未來它們將在更高海拔地區種植，這可能會生產出更令人興奮的葡萄酒。
一代新的種植者急切地希望充分利用他們的風土條件，而當地市場將在他們的葡萄酒中找到島嶼的濃郁香氣。科西嘉的葡萄酒，無論是混釀還是單一品種，都展現了該島獨特而多元的風味和文化。
The wild island of Corsica, once Italian and now French, remains a uniquely individual hybrid. The island's terroir includes schist in the far north and east, with alluvial deposits and sand, limestone in Patrimonio and the far south, and granite in the west and south.
Corsica's climate is drier and sunnier than anywhere in mainland France, with particularly dry summers that concentrate the flavors of everything grown on the island. The island boasts a variety of grape types, including red varieties Niellucciu (Sangiovese), Sciaccarellu (Mammolo), Elegante (Grenache), and white varieties Vermentinu, Biancu Gentile, and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.
In the 1960s, following France's loss of Algeria, many skilled growers, known as pieds noirs, migrated to the then-malarial east coast of Corsica. By 1976, Corsica's vineyards had quadrupled, almost entirely with bulk-producing vines. Thanks to substantial subsidies from Brussels and Paris, the island's cellars are now well-equipped, winemakers often trained in mainland wine colleges, and the vineyards have been significantly reduced and replanted with superior and increasingly local vine varieties. Despite this, most of the more interesting wine produced on the island is also sold there, with prices boosted by tourist demand. The most commonly exported wine is the basic IGP rosé, known by Corsica's seductive moniker, Île de Beauté, under which almost half of the island's wine is now sold.
More and more Corsican wines, however, are serious contenders that have rediscovered their roots in the hardy traditional grape varieties and the rocky hills where they thrive best. Most vineyards are within sight of the coast, as the mountainous interior is too rugged for viticulture. Niellucciu, Tuscany's Sangiovese, accounts for almost a third of the island's vines. It dominates the northern appellation of Patrimonio, producing some of Corsica's best and longest-lived wines: firm Rhône-style reds, well-balanced whites, and high-quality sweet Muscat Vins Doux Naturels.
The much softer Sciaccarellu grape (Tuscany's Mammolo), grown in about 15% of the island's vineyards, is primarily associated with Corsica's oldest wine region around the granitic west coast near the capital Ajaccio, at Calvi, and in the Sartène region around Propriano. It produces highly drinkable, soft yet spicy reds and a lively rosé despite its high alcohol content.
Corsica is known for its sweet wines, made from Muscat or the local Vermentinu (known as "Malvoisie de Corse" in the north of the island), especially in Cap Corse, the long northern point of the island. These wines are excellent, including Rappu, a strong sweet red made around Rogliano from Aleatico grapes. Wines from this northern tip of Corsica are labeled Coteaux du Cap Corse.
Vermentinu, the principal white grape in all of Corsica's AOCs, also produces crisp, dry wines that vary from intensely aromatic to steely citrus, and become deeply savory with age. Calvi in the northwest uses Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, and Vermentinu, as well as some international grapes, to produce full-bodied table wines; Figari and Porto-Vecchio do the same in the south. It's a thirsty country, with wines that are scarcely thirst-quenching, although Figari and Sartène are moving towards modern, fruity crispness.
Plain Vins de Corse are typically made around Aléria and Ghisonaccia on the eastern coastal plain, usually being inexpensive blends of local and international varieties. Much more interesting, however, are the rediscovered indigenous varieties like Morescone, Carcaghjolu, Carcaghjolu Biancu, Genovese, Rossula Bianca, Vintaghju, Cualtacciu, Brustianu, and Minustellu (which may be Graciano). Most are allowed in AOC blends only in very small proportions, so many of the island's best wines are sold as Vins de France. These varieties are primarily grown near sea level but are likely to be planted at higher elevations in the future, which may result in even more thrilling wines.
A new generation of growers is eager to make the most of their terroir, and a local, some would say captive, market will find in their wines the heady scents of the island. Corsica's wines, whether blends or single varietals, showcase the island's unique and diverse flavors and culture.
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