Derekthered's Corsica blog

Over the weekend, London had a gentle introduction to the wines of Corsica. The occasion was the French Wine Growers' Fair, and three Corsican wine growers braved the long journey to London to ply their trade.

Hobnobbing with the best of Bordeaux and Bourgogne were some of Corsica's finest and visitors were able to sample Vermentinu, Niellucciu and above all corsica's unique cépage, Sciacarellu in the strangely grim environment of the Barbican Exhibition Centre.

My picture shows (from the left) Gérard Courreges of Domaine de Vaccelli, near Ajaccio, Fabrice Couloumere of Clos Fornelli, from Corsica's East Coast near Aleria, and Mme Josette Lucciardi of Clos Lucciardi from the same region. On the right is Mme Dominique Tramoni-Carnell, former President of London's Association des Corses, who had made the effort to come and welcome the growers in person.

The delegation did Corsica proud. Clos Lucciardi's smooth Niellucciu more than held its own amongst its better known neighbours; Clos Fornelli was showing off its spicy, spikey and exciting new Robe d'Ange - now almost exclusively Sciacarellu, and Domaine de Vaccelli was exhibiting its silver-medal winning red, carefully and expertly blended from Corsican and other grape varieties.

I left the grey concrete slab of the Barbican with a big grin on my face - what a great experience to taste and feel some Corsican sunshine on a grey London day in autumn!