Ancient times
Aléria, located on the east coast of the island, was the island's first trading post. Built in 565 BC, it is home to pottery that bears witness to the cultivation of vines since that time.
This winemaking tradition earned it the appreciation of the Greeks and, a little later, the Romans. Thus, the Phoenicians, Phocaeans, Carthaginians, and Romans all contributed in turn to its development. Corsican wine was so renowned that the Greeks made it one of their favorite beverages. It was the Roman poet Virgil who first described the island wine from the Balagne region as ruby-colored and pleasant on the palate.
The period following the fall of the Roman Empire was marked by successive invasions that halted the development of the island's wine industry.