Domaine Pieretti

The History of Domaine Pieretti

The Pieretti family has been working the vineyards of Cap Corse since the 16th century and their know-how has been passed down from generation to generation. Until 1989, Jean Pieretti operated the three and a half hectares of the estate in a totally artisanal way. The grapes were crushed at the foot and the pressing was done with the tribiu, a press inherited from the Roman era. The juice was then aged in concrete tanks before being bottled.

In 1989, terrible fires ravaged the region and half of the Pieretti Estate's vineyards were destroyed. That year, Lina Venturi-Pieretti, Jean's daughter, took over the estate, which had to be completely rebuilt. Between 1991 and 1994, she restructured the vineyard to reach the current surface of 11 hectares.

The production tool was entirely modernized, with a pneumatic press and thermo-regulated vats. However, the old tribiu was preserved and is still on display to the public.

1994 was also the year of the inauguration of the Pieretti Cellar, located on the seafront, at the exit of the village of Santa Severa. Open to the public from April to October or by appointment, you can come and taste the different vintages of the Pieretti Estate.

The Domaine Pieretti vineyard

The Domaine Pieretti vineyard covers 11 hectares, on the hillsides surrounding the village of Santa Severa, on the eastern coast of Cap Corse, 30 kilometers north of Bastia.

The grapes grow by the sea, on a soil composed of clay and schist, in the middle of the Corsican maquis. The vines benefit from the marine influence and the wind that often beats them, which sanitizes them by drying them and driving away parasites.

Although modernized, the Pieretti Estate retains traditional methods to operate its vines with respect. Harvesting is done by hand and the grapes are packaged in crates that are transported to the cellar.

Domaine Pieretti produces an average of 45,000 bottles per year of red, white, rosé and Muscat wines.

The wines of Domaine Pieretti

Domaine Pieretti wines are made from original Corsican grape varieties.

The Alicante grape

Domaine Pieretti grows Alicante grapes, an old traditional variety from Cap Corse that experts compare to Grenache Noir. Alicante vines cover the hillsides closest to the sea, on arid soil.

The Vermentino grape

The Vermentino grape belongs to the Malvasia family. The vines grow on the clay-schist soil, on the hillsides near the sea in the northeast of Cape Corsica.

The Muscat Petits Grains grape variety

Muscat Petits Grains grows in the communes of Pietracorbara and Meria, in a place called Murteta.

The Niellucciu grape

The Niellucciu grape variety is a black grape variety from central Italy, very popular today in Corsican vineyards.