Friday, May 26, 2006
Democracy in Felicetu
Around this time last year, we paid a visit to one of my favourite Balagne villages - Felicetu. It was just before an important vote - France's turn to vote on the European Constitution, and France's rejection of it made headines in the national press of Britain, the USA and most of the rest of the world as well as France. Corsica's rejection of the Constitution was a little more adamant than most departements.
The reason for my visit was to find out a bit about Felicetu's best known wine - Renucci. Unlike the Balagne vineyards closer to the sea, this little vineyard is tucked away in a corner of the mountains and its wines have a different character from the ones further down the slopes. Unlike its neighbours Clos Landry and Clos Colombu nearer the coast, Renucci do not produce a fashionable Rosé Gris, preferring a redder, fuller rosé. And Renucci's tiny valley favours Corsica's unique Sciaccarellu grapes while most of Corsica's growers of red and rosé wines prefer to cultivate the more prevalent Nielucciu grapes.
We bought a few bottles of this excellent wine, then went for a stroll in the village. It was late morning and hot, and apart from the occasional sleeping dog, there weren't many folk about, so we stopped for a sit down on a little bridge. It was in the heart of the village and we gazed down to admire the view below us. There, on the ground, were several copies of the soon-to-be-voted-on European Constitution, dumped there on the banks of a little stream, looking neglected, wet and bedraggled.
I'm not sure how the village voted in the Referendum, but I understand the Balagne region as a whole voted in favour by a small margin. I don't imagine the turnout was especially high in Felicetu.
I was back again this month, and bought a few bottles of Renucci's white wine - a crisp, aromatic Vermentinu of wonderful clarity. In fact, we toasted the village's health with a bottle of Renucci's Vermentinu this very evening, which is why I was reminded to write a few words about the place tonight.
The reason for my visit was to find out a bit about Felicetu's best known wine - Renucci. Unlike the Balagne vineyards closer to the sea, this little vineyard is tucked away in a corner of the mountains and its wines have a different character from the ones further down the slopes. Unlike its neighbours Clos Landry and Clos Colombu nearer the coast, Renucci do not produce a fashionable Rosé Gris, preferring a redder, fuller rosé. And Renucci's tiny valley favours Corsica's unique Sciaccarellu grapes while most of Corsica's growers of red and rosé wines prefer to cultivate the more prevalent Nielucciu grapes.
We bought a few bottles of this excellent wine, then went for a stroll in the village. It was late morning and hot, and apart from the occasional sleeping dog, there weren't many folk about, so we stopped for a sit down on a little bridge. It was in the heart of the village and we gazed down to admire the view below us. There, on the ground, were several copies of the soon-to-be-voted-on European Constitution, dumped there on the banks of a little stream, looking neglected, wet and bedraggled.
I'm not sure how the village voted in the Referendum, but I understand the Balagne region as a whole voted in favour by a small margin. I don't imagine the turnout was especially high in Felicetu.
I was back again this month, and bought a few bottles of Renucci's white wine - a crisp, aromatic Vermentinu of wonderful clarity. In fact, we toasted the village's health with a bottle of Renucci's Vermentinu this very evening, which is why I was reminded to write a few words about the place tonight.
# posted by Derekthered @ 3:21 PM 
