Eric Poli directs Domaine de Piana, the family’s 75-acre estate between Linguizzetta and Bravone on Corsica’s East Coast. In 2005, Eric purchased 7.4 acres (3 hectares) of old-vine Niellucciu and Vermentino (aka Malvoisie de Corse) on the terraced Poggio d’Oletta in the heart of Patrimonio. The region’s warm sun and favorable winds allow for environmentally friendly agricultural practices with limited use of herbicides and pesticides, ensuring that the grapes ripen perfectly for the harvest.

Only grape varieties native to Corsica are grown: Vermentino for white wines and Niellucciu for reds and rosés. Protected by the maritime influences of the Golf de Saint-Florent, vines cultivated on the Petra Bianca soils of Patrimonio’s hillsides rarely require treatments of any kind, so Eric’s practices are essentially organic (though without certification).