Beckhams rave about Corsican vineyard

After dining al fresco in a Corsican wine producer’s vineyard, David Beckham declared it one of the most “beautiful places” he has ever eaten.

The French island of Corsica is a fair paradise for winemaking. The fourth largest island in the Mediterranean enjoys more sunshine year-round than mainland France, and low rainfall, confined to the winter months, shielding vines from the threat of mildew experienced by the likes of Bordeaux. Soils are largely granite-based and silica rich, lending the island’s wines a gentle minerality, and to top it all, many vineyards are farmed organically.

Corsica’s top wines have tended to be a bit of a well-kept secret, meaning those in the know could get their hands on a top cuvée that few others have tried. That may not be the case for much longer, however, after one of the most influential celebrities on the planet championed a Corsican vineyard to his 88.2 million Instagram followers this week.

While holidaying in Corsica, David Beckham posted a photograph of himself and wife Victoria dining in the vineyard of Domaine de Peretti Della Rocca, captioning the image:

“We have eaten in many beautiful places but WOW Domaine De Peretti Della Rocca.”

Winery owner Jean-Baptiste de Peretti has a restaurant overlooking the domaine’s vines with a view of the L’Omu di Cagna mountain, and the Beckhams were pictured at a table hidden between rows of vines, a glass of red to hand. Among the chef’s flagship specialties are sautéed veal, zucchini fritters and platters loaded with Corsican cheeses and charcuterie.

The 9ha wine estate, located in the Île de Beauté AOP in Figari, South Corsica, grows the three most popular grape varieties cultivated on the island – Vermentino (responsible for 19% of Corsica’s wine production), Sciacarello and Nielluccio.

Indigenous variety Sciacarello, according to the producer’s website, produces “aristocratic, supple reds with a remarkable peppery bouquet of red fruits, spices, coffee and flowers of the maquis.”

Nielluccio is described by Domaine de Peretti Della Rocca as having a nose of “hare fur and liquorice”, while the more commonly-known Vermentino gives “voluminous” whites with notes of apple and almond.

Bottles of the domaine’s Jules Rouge and Jules Blanc wines are priced at around €25.

Love affair

David Beckham’s love affair with wine has been well-documented by the drinks business, with the footballing ace often gifting friends and family special or rare vintages.

Last month the footballing ace gifted Sven Goran Erikkson a number of bottles of wines from vintages that marked key milestones in Erikkson’s career. Beckham also treated Lionel Messi a large format bottle of Catena Zapata for the Argentine superstar’s 37th birthday this year.

In 2021, the Beckhams were granted permission to build a sprawling wine cellar within their Oxfordshire home with the capacity to store more than 7,000 bottles of wine. And it would seem that David and Victoria have passed on a love of wine to their eldest son, as Brooklyn Beckham shared a glimpse into his own wine cellar, which houses bottles including a 2003 Château Mouton Rothschild, a Grand Vin Château Latour 1989, a Petrus 2015, and a Petrus 1979.

Victoria Beckham was reportedly gifted a Napa Valley vineyard for her 34th birthday in 2008, though the wines made from its grapes are thought to be kept for the family’s consumption only and not made commercially available.

The famous couple, who recently received five Emmy nominations for their Netflix documentary Beckham, toasted their 19th wedding anniversary in 2018 with a bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1990. Victoria posted a snap on social media, saying:  “Special wine for a very special day x.”

Given the influence of the pair, might there be a sudden uplift in sales of Corsican wine?