Corsican wines spice up Speciality French Foods on 24 March
Corsican wines from seven estates - Clos Canarelli, Clos Culombu, Clos Santini, Domaine Cordoliani, Domaine de Tanella, Domaine Sant'Armettu, and Domaine Vico/Clos Venturi- will accompany the  French Speciality Food Day organised in central London by the French Trade Commission on 24 March 2011. Participants will have the opportunity to sample these unique wines from the French island-region of Corsica at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.  The French Trade Commission is delighted to invite members of the press to meet French producers of selected speciality foods on 24 March 2011 at the Royal Garden Hotel, in Kensington (central London). This will also give attendees the opportunity to taste quality wines from seven domains in Corsica (see details below).  The French Speciality Food Day will start at 9.30am with a conference on the British market for speciality and fine foods, including the market for French foods. The conference will be followed by a lunch/tasting at 12.30pm, which will be attended by French producers as well as British importers, retailers and buyers.  CIVCORSE, the Corsican wine board, and its representative in Britain, Guillaume Rodet, have great pleasure in being part of this event, which puts French food specialities in the spotlight. Corsican wine will accompany the tasting and the buffet, and attendees will be able to appreciate insular grape varieties that are found nowhere else - Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu and Vermentinu.   "Combined with local soil conditions, the grapes contribute towards a unique output with a Mediterranean flavour, which is the true reflection of the character of Corsica, known in French as the Ile de Beauté," explains Guillaume Rodet. Corsican wines are unique and original, and they include remarkable rosés, legendary Muscats, delicious white wines, and powerful reds which mature well, all made according to the principles of traditional agriculture and/or those of organic farming. The seven Corsican winegrowers providing the wine for this event have been offering a wide range of quality wines for many years, always striving to meet high standards combining modernity, quality and tradition. Today, Corsica ranks among the great winegrowing regions, thanks to the originality and style of its wines.  The UK is a priority market for Corsican producers, who know that the unique flavour and insular authenticity of their products appeal to British professionals and consumers alike.  Clos Canarelli  Clos Canarelli's vineyards receive excellent exposure to the sun and, in addition, frequent winds and mountain updrafts further improve the quality of the wine. These conditions enable Yves Canarelli, who runs the domain, to produce a range of wines of quality and distinction at his estate in Figari. His passion for the local soil, his  meticulous approach and his ongoing research into Corsican  grapes, biodynamic cultivation and indigenous yeast all help his  estate create high-quality, original wines.  Clos Culombu  The Clos Culombu vineyard, which was founded in 1973 by Paul Suzzoni, takes up 60 hectares. In 1986, Etienne Suzzoni, Paul's brother, took over the management of the estate. The vines, which enjoy due south exposure between the 2,000-metre Monte Grosso and the Gulf of Calvi, are cultivated according to traditional methods - neither chemical fertilisers nor weed-killers are used. Typical Corsican grape varieties (Niellucciu, Sciaccarellu and Vermentinu) are grown, alongside Mediterranean-type grape varieties (Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault), which round off the rosé's composition.Clos Santini  The Dominici and Santini families combined their respective estates when intermarriages brought them together. The vineyard is located in an exceptional environment, between sea and mountains, at the foot of the Cap Corse, in the St Florent Gulf. The mountainous terrain and the sea are strong thermal regulators, which make an optimal maturation of the grapes possible. The marine spin drift protects the vines from diseases. This exceptional terroir generates memorable and high-quality wines. The vines grow on the hillsides and are located in the area of the Patrimonio Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), on chalky, clayey, shaly and siliceous soils. Domaine Cordoliani Since it was set up in 2003, Domaine Cordoliani has opted for a form of viticulture that respects the natural environment: soils are ploughed and vines are grown without the use of herbicides, chemical fertilisers or pesticides, and every task is undertaken manually. The estate covers about 12 hectares, most of it cultivated in Niellucciu, Carignan and Muscat. The Muscat du Cap Corse is a rare and delicate wine: the yields are very small, resulting in highly concentrated grapes. The Patrimonio AOC and its Niellucciu variety produce powerful and generous reds, together with fruity rosés