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Éric Poli, the sense of sharing
Corsican winegrowers have a sense of sharing
Before setting the table for a delicious festive meal, Settimana asked them to talk about the wine produced by their fellow winemakers and neighbours. In a collective profession such as this, it’s only natural.
Such a request may seem incongruous: to invite winemakers to talk about each other's wine while setting the festive table. But the culture of wine is tinged with passion and emotion, which lends itself to a sharing experience.
And they are happy to go along with this match. Harmonising the wine with food, perfectly pairing – always with admiration and pride for the work accomplished by their fellow winemakers.
Making wine takes time and involves many processes. The hazards of the weather, the maturation of the grapes, the vinification of the harvest, the aging, and finally the storing of the wine. The hard work undertaken by Corsican winemakers in recent years to bring Corsican wine on, is a giant leap forward for all wine lovers.
The selection of the wine in this way proves another certainty. When it comes to choosing wines to compliment your holiday meals, there is no need to look elsewhere. Whatever type of wine, whatever pairing required, Corsican winemakers, whether they work in private cellars or in cooperative groups, are able to deliver the perfect taste. And above all, they bring their own identity, and their own originality: sciaccarellu, niellucciu, vermentinu, biancu gentile, minustellu, carcaghjolu neru, the range of native grape varieties is so diverse that it offers compositions and vintages that are truly original.
Éric Poli, Christian Estève, Gilles Seroin, Pierre Acquaviva, Christian Orsucci, Jean-Baptiste de Peretti Della Rocca, Marie-Brigitte Poli, and Françoise Giudicelli have proved themselves as knowledgeable guides. They love their job and of course, wine. As an added bonus, they are interested in gastronomy.
Éric Poli, the sense of sharing
Éric Poli (Clos Alivu and Domaine Poli) is President of the CIVC (Champagne Wine Interprofessional Committee). As the head of all the winegrowers and all the terroirs, and a generous-natured man who would not wish to offend anyone with his choices, he considers the wines carefully.
The purpose is not simply ecumenical. It is that of a president attached to the collective formed by the Corsican winegrowers.
For the first course, a seafood platter with oysters from the lagoon, Étang de Diane, Eric Poli chooses the Ajaccio appellation: "I like the whites of this terroir, they are very aromatic and bring much pleasure and lightness to the pairing.” He cites the white Clos Ornasca , "a pure vermentinu", a wonderful grape variety that Corsican winemakers produce better than anyone.
For the main course, cabri, a traditional lamb dish with a rich sauce, the king of the island's festive tables, Eric Poli opts for "a full-bodied wine, a Patrimonio", this time the quintessence of niellucciu, and selects a red from "Yves Leccia". The winemaker suggests the Calvi appellation, with a Bernard Renucci vintage, Pitraïa, "a well-rounded and ample red".
For the dessert, the choice is wider if we don’t keep to sparkling. "A well matured white wine, matured in a barrel which brings out a hint of vanilla which harmonises with the flavours of the dessert".
©Magali Cancel CIVCORSE
