A day or two to spend in Ajaccio? In the streets of the imperial city, you will find something to delight your taste buds, but it is on the way out of the city that you will meet passionate and exciting winemakers. Let's take a tour off the beaten track... Discover our travel guide to Ajaccio!
Travelling in the wine of Ajaccio:
- Taking the high road at Clos d'Alzeto
- Taking your time at Domaine Peraldi
- Mandatory tasting at Domaine A Peraccia!
- Having a chat at Petra di Mela
My favourites in the Ajaccio region:
- Escaping from a wine cellar
- Watch the sunset over the Sanguinaires with a sommelier
- Shopping at the Cave du Cardinal
- Visit Ajaccio with a drink in hand
- Picnic with the water lilies at Lake Creno
- Rediscovering ice cream at Geronimi in Sagone
- Stop at the Auberge du col St-Georges
- Rubbing shoulders with the pigs at L'Usu corsu
- Sleeping in an old mill
- Travelling back in time in Filitosa
- Putting yourself in the shoes of a pig in Cozzano
Ajaccio l'Impériale basks in the glow of its gulf and lines up its beaches, each one as beautiful as the next, under the benevolent gaze of Monte Gozzi, the red granite cliff that dominates the gulf. From the beaches of Porticcio, crowded with people in summer, to the wildness of the beach of Capo di Feno, a favourite of the Ajaccians, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying the sea. A walk in the Sanguinaires islands is a must: by the coast, you can walk the path that leads to the Parata point, by the sea you can visit the islet of Mezu Mare and approach its semaphore by following the paths marked out in this protected natural area.
Why... bloody islands ?!
The origin of the name of the Sanguinaires islands ("bloody islands' in French) is not known with certainty: the red colour they display at sunset seems the most obvious explanation, but it is more likely that their name is derived from Sagone. They indeed delimit the Gulf of Ajaccio and the Gulf of Sagone, further north.
In the city, you will go from the Fesch museum, which holds some treasures of Italian painting, to the house where Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769. Then, once you have revised your classics, you can take to the road to meet the wine of Ajaccio. Here too, a star was born: sciaccarellu, a grape variety whose name means "crunchy", which makes up at least 60% of the wines of the Ajaccio PDO. With very fine tannins and aromas of red fruits, sciaccarellu produces supple wines that are easy to enjoy.
Travelling in the wine of Ajaccio
Taking the high road at Clos d'Alzeto
Welcome to the highest vineyard in Corsica! The Clos d'Alzeto, in Sari d'Orcino, north of Ajaccio, spreads out its 50 hectares from 300 to 500m of altitude. This brings freshness to the wines but also a beautiful diversity of characters linked to the variety of soils, magnified by the choice of local grape varieties adapted to each terrain. The Albertini family runs this atypical estate with talent and professionalism, which is well worth a visit.
To discover it, the Clos d'Alzeto offers you a visit of about 1 hour (15€/pers.) which includes a tour of the cellars and a commented tasting of the different vintages of the estate. During the summer season, two visits per day are organised. You may be lucky enough to join them if you show up at the right time! To be on the safe side, it is best to book by phone. The tasting cellar is open every day except Sunday.
Info, reservations and timetable: https://www.closdalzeto.com/nous-contacter-clos-d-alzeto-vignoble-sari-d-orcino-8.html
Taking your time at Domaine Peraldi
At Domaine Peraldi, hospitality is not an empty word. In this vineyard, whose history dates back to the middle of the 19th century, you will be welcomed with open arms to discover the vines, the wines and the young winegrowers who keep this heart of Ajaccio's wine industry alive. In the middle of the vines, which are about 50 years old, you will be able to discover the different vintages of the estate, in particular the Clémence cuvée, a Vermentinu (white) matured in oak barrels, and the Cardinal cuvée, which combines the freshness of the Sciaccarellu (red) with 18 months of maturation in barrels.
Stroll, picnic, concert... Ask for the programme of festivities! This summer, the estate is offering several discovery packages, all of which must be booked in advance, only from Tuesday to Friday at 10am or 3pm:
Discovery tour: Visit and tasting of 4 wines (8€/pers), or 6 wines (15€/pers). Through a journey from the vine to the bottle, wine production will no longer hold any secrets for you! The tasting takes place in a beautiful room with a view of the vineyards.
Spuntinu: Visit and tasting of 3 wines & box "spuntinu" ("snack") (30€/pers). Extend the experience by discovering the wines around local products: PDO and organic charcuterie from the Poli brothers in Sari d'Orcino, goat's cheese from Stéphanie Celli in Ucciani and ewe's cheese from the Alata cheese factory.
Country walk: Visit + tasting of 3 wines & picnic (49€/pers - min 2 persons). After an introductory tour, relaxation and good food will be the order of the day! On the menu, a picnic "nustrale" ("from home"), a nap in the shade, a view of the vines... It's a dream come true, isn't it?
The festival A Vigna incantata will pass through the Peraldi estate in early August 2022 for an evening of music and wine.
Information and reservations: visite@domaineperaldi.com / 04.95.22.37.30 https://www.domaineperaldi.com/
Mandatory tasting at Domaine A Peraccia!
"Tasting is mandatory, otherwise I don't sell wine!" Laurent Costa, the winemaker and master of the place, sets the tone for your visit to the A Peraccia estate: simplicity, sympathy, exchange. The vineyards of the domain, located in the commune of Peri not far from the road, produce wines typical of the Ajaccio region, with however the small personal touch of Laurent Costa, who learned the trade of wine grower on the job.
In the shop, where you will also find delicatessen products, Laurent will let you taste his different vintages, guide you through his cellar with pleasure and answer all your questions about wine. A great meeting with a passionate winegrower with a strong character. From 15 May to 15 September, the cellar is open from 10am to 12pm and from 3.30pm to 7.30pm. Info: 06.65.37.37.59
Having a chat at Petra di Mela
Another winegrower with a sharp tongue on the Peri plain. Jules Celli has taken over the family estate, which is almost 100 years old, and produces wines that deserve to be known. A very small estate of 3ha, the Petra di Mela estate offers 100% sciaccarellu reds and rosés, emblematic of the Ajaccio PDO, and 100% vermentinu whites with remarkable finesse.
Jules is 100% happy to welcome visitors to his estate. He is happy to talk about his wine and to let you taste it, without fuss, without any great show, but with sincerity and a real desire to talk and share. There are no set times, so go in the afternoon as Jules is often in the vineyard in the morning. Knock on the door and get ready to have a good time! Info: 06.74.98.64.54
Ajaccio's specialities are numerous: try bastelle, turnovers filled with herbs, finucchetti, aniseed-flavoured breads in the shape of a figure of eight, ambrucciata, a fresh cheese tartlet, not forgetting the numerous fish, sea urchins during the winter and the inevitable lobster pasta...
My favourites in the Ajaccio region
Escaping from a cellar
To find the way out, you'll have to answer a few questions about Corsican wine and show your wits... The first escape-game on the theme of wine, "Cellar Secrets" is a fun and educational approach to discovering the Corsican vineyards. Created by Raphaël Pierre-Bianchetti, a hyperactive and hyper-friendly sommelier, this game is accessible to all, wine connoisseurs or not, and takes place in Raphaël's personal cellar in Porticcio. The only risk is that you won't want to find your way out! Info and booking: https://www.chambre237.fr/room/secrets-de-cave/
The sommelier also offers you the opportunity to discover Corsican wines during the evenings every Thursday during the summer: Raphaël will make you taste several wines around a beautiful table (charcuterie, cheese and organic veal in the brazier,...) In a magnificent setting overlooking the Gulf of Ajaccio, you will be able to learn about wine tasting while enjoying a festive atmosphere A different musician and winemaker will be present every Thursday. Reservations required: 04.95.22.20.82.
Raphaël also offers customised tasting packages for groups or tailor-made outings, by helicopter, 4×4 or boat... Information and reservations: 04.95.22.20.82 / http://www.autourdu20.com/cavedusommelier.html
Watch the sunset over the Sanguinaires with a sommelier
Embark on time and arrive in front of the Sanguinaires islands just in time to see the sun curl up between the islets... On the boat, a sommelier will prepare a tasting session to discover the wines of Corsica. The "Magic of the senses" cruise proposed by the Nave Va aims to awaken all your senses: first the sight with the sunset, then the taste and smell of the wines and dishes, the hearing with the Corsican music... And the touch? You might think you're touching a little piece of paradise... The cruise takes place every Wednesday and Friday, departing from Ajaccio and Porticcio, in the presence of a sommelier and a winemaker. Information and reservations: https: //www.naveva.com/
Shopping at the Cave du Cardinal
On the Cours Napoléon, Ajaccio's main shopping street, a stopover at these young wine merchants is a must. They put a lot of effort into offering an affordable and varied selection of wines with a penchant for organic, biodynamic and natural wines. The wine bar offers light meals carefully prepared by a talented young chef. In the shop, you will also finddelicatessen products and a smile as a bonus. What are we waiting for to go there? Info: Facebook @La cave du cardinal / 04.95.50.30.27
Visit Ajaccio with a drink in hand
Macagna is a Corsican speciality that you can't eat but that you mustn't swallow askew! Macagna (pronounced "magagne") is a joke, a gentle mockery. And Ajaccio's tourist office has elevated it to the rank of intangible heritage of Corsica by proposing a guided tour "Macagna and aperitif" (the two often go hand in hand...) which will take you on a tour of Ajaccio's city center in the company of a guide whose macagna tendency you will have to defy before tasting 3 Ajaccio PDO wines with a sommelier who is also a jokester in his own time. A very nice way to discover the city, the wine and the Corsican humor. 18€ per person for a 2 hour visit. Infos and reservations: https: //www.ajaccio-tourisme.com/visites-loisirs/visite-macagna-et-apero-2/
Picnic with the water lilies at Lake Creno
Head north of the Ajaccio region for a rendezvous with the water lilies. At Lake Creno, the only glacial lake in Corsica surrounded by majestic laricio pines, you will have the impression of having changed country. Perched at an altitude of 1300m, the lake is a paradise for water lilies and wild pigs, which will not hesitate to approach your picnic. The walk, from the car park after the village of Soccia, is short (less than 6kms round trip) and not too strenuous. A family outing with a picnic (count an extra slice for the pigs).
Rediscovering ice cream at Geronimi in Sagone
This is THE ice cream maker of Corsica: Pierre Geronimi has reinvented ice cream by creating salty flavours (mustard, basil, olive, pepper, tomato...) that he associates with the salads-meals in his comfortable restaurant-tea room in Sagone. It is impossible to miss the typically Corsican flavours: myrtle, nepita - the Corsican wild mint -, Corsican citrus fruits; but all the creations of the master ice cream maker are a delight. Infos : https://glacespierregeronimi.com/
Stop off at the Col St Georges inn
Head south of Ajaccio this time, with this traditional and cosy inn, close to the spring from which the famous Corsican mineral water gushes out in bottles designed by Philippe Starck. There is no modern art at the inn, but traditional, hearty dishes that will be served to you as if you were at home, with simplicity and kindness. A comforting break, in summer or winter. Info: https: //saintgeorges.inn.fan/
Rubbing shoulders with the pigs at L'Usu corsu
If you like charcuterie, head for the small village of Olivese, perched in the mountains about 1 hour from Ajaccio. Julie is waiting for you to visit her "nustrale" pig farm , the endemic Corsican breed. Embarked in the 4×4, you will leave on the tracks of the pig, from its birth to the plate. You will discover the requirements of the AOP Charcuterie de Corse and taste the delicacies produced by Julie. Three options are available: a tasting in the drying room of charcuterie, cheeses and local wines at 30€/pers. ; a one morning visit of the birth, reproduction and finishing pens and the natural drying room with a tasting at 48€/pers. ; and for groups, a 5 hour option with a 4×4 ride to the mountain pasture where the pigs are kept from April to August and a tasting in the chestnut grove (88€/pers.).
Visits from mid-April to mid-October on reservation. https://www.charcuterie-lusucorsu.com/. Tel: 06.07.68. 68.44
Sleeping in an old mill
The clear waters of the Taravo River flow under your windows, an old bridge spans it, the night promises to be gentle and silent... At the U Mulinu inn, well hidden between the villages of Pila-Canale and Sollacaro, you will enjoy a wonderfully calm night, only rocked by the gentle sound of the river, after a good dinner on the modern terrace. In summer, the coolness of the place is appreciated. An unforgettable moment of tranquillity. Info: https: //www.umulinu.net/
Travelling back in time in Filitosa
Who are these standing men? At Filitosa, the most important archaeological site in Corsica, you will go and meet the statues made by men around 1200 BC on menhirs already erected 3000 years earlier. Witnesses of the history of Corsica, these statues are still an enigma: monument to the glory of a man? Markers of territory? Phallic symbols to promote the fertility of the land? Go and make up your own mind. Infos : https://www.filitosa.fr/
Putting yourself in the shoes of a pig in Cozzano
It deserved a museum: the pig is honoured in the mountain village of Cozzano where the museum "U mondu di u porcu" offers you to discover this animal that we meet everywhere in Corsica, including on the roads. Very well thought out, modern and welcoming, U mondu di u porcu will make you discover the life of the pig, the traditions around its breeding and, obviously, the Corsican pork-butchery.
The museum also organizes visits to the farms of the village, in particular to the pork butcher Dumè Cesari, to the saffron producer Sylvain Martinez-Ciccolini and thebeekeeper Maria Colombani. These "authentic days" take place from June 1st to the end of September every Friday (12€/adult, 8€/child), reservation and information : https://www.mondu-porcu.com/