Vin de Corse Porto-Vecchio is produced under the Vin de Corse appellation of Corsica, specifically from the villages in the south-eastern corner of the island, between the communes of Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and Solenzara. The generic Vin de Corse appellation is divided into a number of sub-regions, corresponding to five key viticultural areas of Corsica: Figari, Sartene, Calvi, Cap Corse and Porto-Vecchio itself.
Porto-Vecchio town is located at the apex of a shallow, sheltered bay – the Golfe de Porto-Vecchio. Between its calm blue waters and the southern mountains of Corsica's spine is a large agricultural area, including vineyards. The vines nestle in valleys created by the coastal foothills of the Vacca Morta ('Dead Cow') and Batarchione peaks to the west.
Vin de Corse Porto-Vecchio wines are red, white and rose, with rose making up around half of the total output. Reds account for most of the remainder, but a small quantity of white wine is also produced.
The primary grape varieties used for the reds and roses are Grenache, Nielluccio (Sangiovese) and Sciaccarello, bolstered by the traditional Corsican varieties Aleatico, Barbarossa, Carcajolo Nero and Minustello (Graciano), along with Mourvedre, Cinsaut and Carignan from the south of France. The whites are made from Vermentino, with a splash of Biancu Gentile and Ugni Blanc
Corsica's climate is, of course, Mediterranean, with higher sunshine levels (and correspondingly low rainfall) than any part of mainland France. The growing season here is well suited to productive viticulture; harvest conditions, in particular, are generally excellent. That said, the mountainous topography creates many varied mesoclimates, emphasizing and moderating the various climatic influences that result from the island's latitude, maritime location and altitude.
