Jean-Baptiste ARENA

Jean-Baptiste Arena, the eldest son of Antoine Arena, now makes white, red and muscatel wines from the Grotte di Sole terroir. All the wines are still vinified at Winery in Patrimonio (or Patrimoniu in Corsica).

A family history 

After a few years of law school, the call of the land was felt very early and Jean-Baptiste decided to return to Corsica to work at Winery alongside his father. Antoine Arena having reached retirement age, the vineyards were divided between the two brothers, Jean-Baptiste and Antoine-Marie, who continue to work together.

The terroir of Patrimonio

At the foot of the west coast of Corsica, on the heights of the Gulf of Saint Florent, an 8 million year old limestone cirque was formed at the border of the schistose and granitic corses. This land swept by the 5 dominant winds of the island (grecale, sciroccu, libecciu, maistrale, tramuntana), is characterized by its geological diversity, its multi secular know-how, and the respect of the biodiversity which surrounds it by the wine growers of Patrimoniu. The typicality of the AOC is also found in its 2 main grape varieties: Niellucciu and Malvasgia, others came later to enrich this ampelography: muscat, biancu gentile, carcaghjolu neru, morescone, minustellu...

The AOC Patrimonio prohibits chemical weeding

It is official, the Corsican appellation of Patrimonio is now the first appellation in France to have included in its specifications the prohibition of synthetic chemical weedkillers.

Soil work and manual harvesting

Ploughing, no treatment, natural manure and biodynamic work on slopes of more than 25°, where once there were olive trees and scrubland. This is the way Winery works its land. The vines are cultivated in a natural way, without weed killers, chemical fertilizers or synthetic products. The grapes are harvested by hand.

Jean-Baptiste has been the main actor in the transition of the vineyards from "BIO" to "Biodynamie". This ensures a bright future for this family Winery and for Patrimonio.