Patrimonio is an appellation for white, red and rose wines from the southern end of the Cap Corse peninsula of Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean Sea between France and Italy. The communes covered are Barbaggio, Farinole, Oletta, Poggio-d'Oletta, Saint-Florent, Santo-Pietro-di-Tenda and Patrimonio itself.
The soils of the valleys and hillsides here are distinct from the rest of the island because they are largely composed of chalky clays and limestone. The majority of Patrimonio's vines are located on the coast of the Gulf of Saint-Florent, whose clear blue waters attract crowds of tourists in the summer. As a result of this ready-made consumer base, only a small percentage of Patrimonio wine ever leaves Corsica.
The wines are produced from traditional grape varieties, using 100% Vermentino in the case of the whites and 90% Sangiovese (known here as Nielluccio) for the reds and rosés, with a splash of Grenache or Sciaccarello.
