January 20, 2025
Corsica is the kind of place that feels like it exists in a glitch. You know it’s there, but you’ve never really thought about it. Technically, it’s part of France, but only in the way that a kid with a fake ID is technically 21. Corsica doesn’t care about your idea of “French sophistication” or “Italian charm.” It doesn’t care about sommeliers swishing wine in circles and saying words like “unctuous.” It doesn’t care about your tasting notes or your Instagram feed. It’s a jagged rock in the Mediterranean where the mountains fight the ocean, the wind fights the Earth, and the people fight pretty much everyone else. The wine? It’s exactly what you’d expect from a place like that: raw, untamed, and unreasonably good. Vermentino is Corsica’s white wine, but calling it “white wine” is like calling David Bowie a singer. Sure, it’s technically true, but it misses the point. Vermentino tastes like sunlight bouncing off salt-crusted cliffs, like citrus smashed against a rock and set on fire. It’s not here to refresh you. It’s here to remind you that life is short, sharp, and beautiful.
Then there’s Nielluccio. Imagine Sangiovese after it’s spent a few decades off the grid, building its own cabin and learning how to fight bears. It’s wild, earthy, and just this side of dangerous—like the guy in your friend group who’s always one bad idea away from getting arrested but somehow makes every night unforgettable.
Corsican wine isn’t polished, and it doesn’t care about being liked. It’s the anti-hero of your wine rack, the kind of thing that makes you think, “Where has this been all my life?” It’s only here because it has to be—because centuries of stubborn farmers decided to turn their hard, unforgiving landscape into something that bites back.
We’re featuring a selection of Corsican wines this week. They’re bold, they’re raw, and they’re delicious. When you’re ready to stop playing it safe, swing by the shop or drop me a line and I’ll be happy to introduce you to this range of under-the-radar stunners.
Corsica isn’t just a place. It’s a vibe, and you can sip it.
