AOC Ajaccio

AOC Ajaccio lies on the west coast of Corsica, between the Balagne region to the north and the Sartenais to the south. Ajaccio was one of the first coastal towns founded by Rome, and Roman influence brought vines to the hills inland. Vineyards went in where the mountains give shelter and the slopes face the sun.

From the Gulf of Porto to Valinco: 36 Villages in Corse-du-Sud

The AOC Ajaccio area takes in 36 villages in the Corse-du-Sud department, from Piana and Cargèse in the north to Serra-di-Ferro and Casalabriva in the south. The landscape is cut into east-west valleys carved by coastal rivers, some of them powerful. Each valley is a small region of its own, with borders that can be hard to cross.

Vineyard plots are scattered across five river valleys that open onto gulfs: the Porto, Liscia, Prunelli, Gravona and Taravo. The bedrock belongs to Corsica's ancient core, dominated by granite. It breaks down into light, sandy, gravelly soils that are poor and dry and hold little water.

The area has two faces. Along the coast, where hills stay below 150 to 200 meters (about 490 to 660 feet), sea breezes and coastal fog keep temperature swings small. Inland, elevations reach 400 meters (about 1,310 feet) and rainfall is noticeably higher.

How Each Color Is Blended

Vermentino, also called Malvoisie de Corse, is the backbone of white Ajaccio: it makes up at least 80% of the blend. Biancu Gentile, Codivarta, Genovese and Ugni Blanc, known locally as Rossola, can join it. The first three are capped at 10% of the white vines combined.

Reds and rosés are built on Sciaccarello, nicknamed "le craquant" (the crunchy one), which makes up at least 40% of the blend. It shares main-grape status with Nielluccio, Barbarossa (or Barbaroux) and Vermentino, even though Vermentino is a white grape. Together, these four cover at least 60% of the red and rosé vines.

Aleatico, Carcajolo, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache and Minustello (Morrastel) can fill out the blend. Carignan is limited to 15%, and Aleatico, Carcajolo and Minustello to 10% combined.

Coteaux d'Ajaccio in 1971, Ajaccio in 1984

Ajaccio sought official recognition later than other parts of Corsica. In 1967, growers applied for VDQS status, a quality tier below AOC, and were first allowed to add "Coteaux d'Ajaccio" to the AOC Vin de Corse name. Organized into a growers' union, they then won their own AOC, Coteaux d'Ajaccio, by decree on April 21, 1971.

Next, growers redrew the area, cutting it from 85 villages to 36, and focused on quality and on the island's own grapes. On April 3, 1984, the appellation took the name Ajaccio. Its vineyard plots have been mapped since 1982, with the latest approval in 2019.

Sunshine, Yields and Winemaking: AOC Ajaccio Basics

How many hours of sunshine does the Ajaccio vineyard get?

The Ajaccio vineyard gets about 2,728 hours of sunshine a year, as measured in Ajaccio, the sunniest part of Corsica. That mild climate makes the Gulf of Ajaccio a place of early springs.

What yield does AOC Ajaccio allow?

AOC Ajaccio sets its yield at 45 hectoliters per hectare (about 480 US gallons per acre), with an absolute ceiling of 50. On poor granite soils, pruning leaves no more than 12 buds per vine.

Which winemaking practices does AOC Ajaccio regulate?

AOC Ajaccio bans any enrichment of the wine, oak chips, oenological charcoal and sorbic acid. Continuous presses are off-limits too, and red wines finish malolactic fermentation before bottling.

Where can you buy Ajaccio wine direct from the winemaker?

You can buy Ajaccio wine direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins. The producer packs and ships your order directly.

See also: AOC Patrimonio - Rosé wines from Corsica - Red wines from Corsica