From: Corsica, France
Blend: white wine base of Vermentinu and Muscat Petit Grains, flavored with various plants, fruits, and spices, including macerations of cinchona bark and local Cedrat (aka citron)
Taste and Critical Acclaim: "Made with a base of Corsican white wine (Vermentino and other varietals), this sunny-hued aperitivo mixes fruity and floral notes for an ideal warm-weather sipper. Crisp apple and white blossoms entice the nose, while the palate offers breezy hints of melon and honeysuckle sweetness, finishing slightly drying with mild grapefruit pith bitterness." Wine Enthusiast, 94 Points, Top 100 Spirits of 2019.
Pairing: While this vermouth is a delight to drink on its own, you could also use it in a low-abv spritz with soda water and a twist of lemon a sunny summer day. Alternatively, this vermouth would lend more complexity to classic drinks like negroni biancos and 50/50 martinis with vodka or gin.
About. In 1872, a merchant named Louis-Napoléon Mattei named his aperitif wine after his native Cap Corse, a peninsula of Corsica that juts northward into the Mediterranean. A territory of France, Corsica has over the centuries been influenced by both France and Italy, as well as northern Africa. Mattei discovered the beneficial properties of cinchona tree bark during a voyage to the Caribbean, and he brought it to Cap Corse to blend with local wine made from Muscat and Vermentinu grapes. He added spices that made their way through Cap Corse’s bustling port, as well as Cedrat (citron), a thick-peeled ancestor of lemon. Cap Corse Mattei Quinquina was soon exported across the globe. Still today family owned, and all macerations, aging and bottling are done in house.
