The producers of Chez Marie, the taste of taste
We are proud to work with producers who are geographically close to us – the vast majority are located less than than 5 km from Chez Marie – but not only that.
More than suppliers, these are women and men that we have chosen (and who have chosen us), who all have in common a love of their profession and their region, who work hard to offer authentic, good (very (very) good) and organic products.
People who make us come – and come back – to our restaurant and our grocery store, and without whom Chez Marie would not be the same.
ANTOINE, MARIE, JEAN-BAPTISTE, ANTOINE-MARIE AND THE WINEGROWER FRIENDS OF PATRIMONIO
The wine runs in the blood
The grandson and son of winegrowers, Antoine Arena first took a detour into law before developing a passion for the family vineyards and taking them over with his wife, Marie, in 1980. Owned by the Arena family since the 18th century, the Patrimonio terroir has gradually been expanded by Antoine. Conquering terroirs of character is sometimes a tough battle, such as that of Hauts de Carco. Huge boulders on the plot? Nothing to deter Antoine and his sons, Jean-Baptiste and Antoine-Marie, both born enthusiasts. Together, they crush, uproot, extract, and replant. Their triumph over the limestone adversity has now given them a wine with unique freshness and minerality.
In 2014, Antoine divided Domaine Arena into three. Jean-Baptiste owns the Grotte di Sole terroir, blends of Vermentino-Muscat whites and a Nielluccio base for the reds; Antoine-Marie owns the famous Carco, Nielluccio for the reds, and Vermentino-Bianco Gentile-Muscat for the whites. Both produce biodynamically and under their own labels.
Producing some of Corsican’s finest vintages, Domaine Arena’s reputation has long since spread beyond the island. And rightly so. Here, rigor, hard work, and respect are key: the vines are cared for, plowed, and untreated, with sheep manure and grape pomace working wonders.
Antoine, an instinctive and visionary winemaker, also left his mark on the recent history of the island’s vineyards with a very personal approach to reintroducing an ancient native grape variety to his estate: Biancu gentile. It was the name Arena that restored the nobility of a grape variety now replanted by many winemakers. Antoine’s bold approach to reclaiming winemaking heritage would go down in history: the reintroduction of ancient, extinct grape varieties has now become a hallmark of the island’s winemaking community.
Nombreux sont les vignerons à partager la vision naturelle et exigeante de la famille Arena. Josée Vanucci, Muriel Giudicelli, Nicolas Mariotti Bindi, Simon Giacometti… ils forment toute une bande soucieuse de ce que l’on met dans le vin et dans la terre et qui fournit à la Corse de mémorables cuvées.
Chez Marie, nous sommes donc particulièrement fiers de pouvoir proposer sur notre carte et dans notre épicerie leurs vins exceptionnels et engagés.
ARENA DOMAIN
Place called Morta Majo
D81
20253 Patrimonio
Muriel Giudicelli / GIUDICELLI DOMAIN
Place called Poretto
20253 Patrimonio
Nicolas Mariotti Bindi / DE LA CANTINA DI TORRA DOMAIN
Torra
20232 Oletta
Simon Giacometti / GIACOMETTI DOMAIN
20217 Casta
Josée Vanucci-Couloumere / CLOS FORNELLI
20270 Tallone
EMILIE BOREL BERTA
Roots and oils
After years of traveling the humanitarian world, Émilie Borel-Berta was looking for a land where she could peacefully plant olive tree roots, and her own, too. That land would be Corsica.
A link with her origins, “agricultural culture and a part of Mediterranean culture,” olive oil had long fascinated her. So Émilie took the plunge, acquired 5 hectares, and cleared them.
Barely had the first trees been planted, when she thought further: she wanted to press her own oil. No matter, she called on Ivo, an Italian miller, to help her with her project. Ivo came, they fell in love, Ivo never left, and a little girl grew up among the olive trees.
Émilie and Ivo lovingly cultivate their 35-hectare olive grove, which reciprocates: the oils are high-quality, the aromas powerful and fruity, hazelnut, cut grass, fruit, and pepper. The couple strives for excellence—extra virgin olive oil—and their methods are striking: organic fertilizers, regular pruning, and close harvesting and pressing to preserve the olive oil’s properties. Purists may grumble, but the international awards continue to rain down on the Oltremonti Mill, and its fans are ever-growing. Among them is Chef Sergio, who perfects his caprese with the intense and fresh Galoppa oil.
MULINU OLTREMONTI
Place called Tristani
Bravone
20230 Linguizzetta
JEAN-ANDRÉ CARDOSI
Sustainable citrus grower
Jean-André Cardosi was born with a passion for fruit growing. His career began in the vineyards, but as soon as he could, he launched himself into his own. In 1979, he planted his first land, Corsican clementines, and kiwis. Since he doesn’t do things by halves, he created his own packing house, the same one that today ships 1,000 tons of clementines from Domaine Vignarella, which has become one of the leading producers of PGI “fines de Corse” (Corsican fines), with green leaves and thin skin.
Whether it’s clementines, kiwis, or grapefruit, Jean-André has opted almost exclusively for organic production. His way of contributing to more responsible citrus farming is zero pesticides, respect for the trees’ rhythms, and no waste: oversized fruit is transformed into fabulous juices and jams. Curious about everything, he closely follows research into new varieties and has recently returned to his first love: planting rows of vines.
And what about tomorrow? He’s calm: he’s passed on his passion to his daughter, Aurore.
Chef Sergio creates delicious variations based on the estate’s fruits, such as the squash and clementine velouté or the wonderful citrus moelleux made with clementine, orange, or pomelo, depending on the season.
DE VIGNARELLA DOMAIN
Route de Linguizzetta
20230 Linguizzetta
EMMA & MATTEO
Organic bread lovers
The story begins in a bakery school. Not just any bakery school, it’s “specialized in natural sourdough.” Emma and Matteo receive the same training there, have the same aspirations, the same vision of bread: water, flour. Period, or almost. Because between the original ingredients and the golden wonders that come out of the oven, there are many manual steps. Luckily, Emma and Matteo prefer working with raw materials. The couple work at the Farina bakery, which specializes in natural and organic sourdough bread. Their incredible large loaf is available by the slice, to introduce its devotees to a different way of eating. To ensure nothing goes to waste, its aromas are enhanced and it keeps better. And tomorrow? They would like to work with flours from peasant bakers—always striving for quality—in a bakery that remains on a human scale. Passion above all. It’s easy to understand why Chez Marie is making a slight departure from the local tradition: the secret to Sergio’s superb bruschettas – mortadella, Lardo di Colonnata, marinated vegetables or tomato – is Farina’s organic bread.
FARINA
Place called Ardisson
20600 Furiani
STÉPHANIE FROMBOLACCI & PIERRE-ANTOINE BATTINI
Nustrale winner
In opposition to the rural exodus, Stéphanie and Pierre-Antoine left the city for the hills of Tox. The grandson of a shepherd and a defender of ancestral know-how, Pierre-Antoine dreamed of a farm in the heart of his childhood village; Stéphanie, a skilled horsewoman, of a return to nature. Together, they took on every challenge. The first? Obtaining the AOP Corsican charcuterie label. To achieve this, they invested in an ultra-modern laboratory for cutting, processing, and maturing. And victory! Their Prisuttu, Coppa, and Lonzo obtained their certification, quickly accompanied by a fine reputation.
Pierre-Antoine took care of the breeding, Stéphanie of the processing and marketing. Following tradition, they butchered 100% natural products in the winter, without additives or preservatives, fresh or dried in the family cellar. Their herd of 120 Nustrale pigs grazes and roams outdoors year-round among oak, chestnut, strawberry, and olive trees.
A taste of freedom and incomparable quality can be enjoyed at their Aleria outlet and on the plates of Chez Marie.
GAEC SANT’APPIANU
20270 Tox
JEAN-ANTOINE OTTAVI
Corsican ambassador
Jean-Antoine Ottavi isn’t a producer. He’s a customer, but a customer unlike any other. When he loves something, Jean-Antoine shares it. For example, he loves Chef Sergio’s cuisine, so he introduces it to everyone. He also has a deep love for Corsica and showcases its riches and beauty like no one else. Above all, he has no equal when it comes to bringing together those who cultivate its expertise and flavors, whether they be shepherds, breeders, market gardeners, winemakers, or chefs. In his own way, Jean-Antoine is an ambassador. From epic meals to chic picnics, he’s behind numerous gatherings at Chez Marie and the surrounding area. Thanks to his passionate mediation, Nustrale lamb and Corsican wine are now featured on the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants across the continent. Thanks to his unwavering loyalty, our restaurant has become both a showcase for quality local products and a benchmark that regularly attracts big names in gastronomy. A source of pride for our small roadside establishment.
One thing is certain: if Jean-Antoine Ottavi is an excellent ambassador for Corsica, he’s also one of the best at Chez Marie.
JEAN-ANTOINE OTTAVI
On Instagram : @ja.corsica
JOSÉE VANUCCI COULOUMERE
Defiant winemaker
After 10 years at IBM for her and years of consulting for him, Josée Vanucci and Fabrice Couloumere return to Tallone and the family vineyards.
Each generation of Vanuccis has contributed their share: the first vines were planted by his shepherd great-grandparents, his grandparents nurtured them, and his father specified Corsican grape varieties. Josée, for her part, has chosen independence: from winemaking to bottling, everything will take place here at Clos Fornelli.
Fabrice and Josée share the tasks: he handles development, sales, and packaging; she handles technical management, cellar work, and winemaking.
Josée practices extremely thoughtful viticulture, using native Corsican grapes and yeasts, mechanical and manual weeding, refusing irrigation, short-pruning vines, and hand-disbudding. Yet she works by instinct, intimately sensing the personality of a growing vintage. And the Clos is not lacking in personality, as evidenced by the vats graffitied with rock allusions and the wines with a strong character, the 35 hectares of the estate benefiting from a dual sea and mountain influence.
The distinctive character of Clos Fornelli wines stems largely from the deep roots of its vines in soils unaffected by irrigation. The stonier soils are home to the Bianco Gentile grape varieties; the alluvial deposits and pebbles of the Bravone nourish the Genovese, Minustellu, Niellucciu, Sciavone, and the venerable Sciaccarellu vines, the oldest in Haute-Corse and cherished by Josée. Grapes on the Clos, the prices: the Vanucci-Couloumeres want their bottles to be accessible to all, “because they are an integral part of their terroir and a terroir wine should be able to be enjoyed by the people who inhabit it.”
Enough to satisfy both die-hard fans and enthusiasts, who happily find them on the menu and in the Chez Marie grocery store.
CLOS FORNELLI
20270 Tallone
DOMINIQUE VARIOT
Mustard Magician
After 20 years at Maille, Dominique Variot’s desire to innovate grew. Originally from Burgundy, he tried something new: planting mustard seeds on the land of his wife, Gilberte Sabiani.
Not only did it grow, but it was a hit. Dominique doesn’t just reproduce a recipe; he selects the best the island produces to invent a Corsican mustard. Myrtle, lemon, citron, clementine, orange, honey, chestnut, hazelnut, herbs from the maquis… the Corsican Mustard Workshop now boasts more than a dozen variations, and new ones are tested every year in the utmost secrecy.
The master mustard maker won’t reveal anything about his formula: “a work with zest.” A taste of mystery that unites gourmets and seasoned chefs alike. Chef Sergio made no mistake, using Linguizzetta mustard to enhance his meats and bresaola carpacci.
CORSICAN MUSTARD WORKSHOP
Sera Piana
20230 LINGUIZZETTA
YANN SOLO BIO
Free market gardener
Close to Chez Marie, Yann and Émilie provide us with eggs and vegetables, including the rich arugula that accompanies some of Chef Sergio’s dishes.
Yannick Carteret is a market gardener and organic chicken farmer since 2011 in Linguizzetta.
In 2018, life, its ups and downs, brought a new beginning. 7 hectares in the forest, a caravan-house, and a new name: Yann Solo Bio. The opportunity to reinvent everything: more organic than ever, fewer inputs and machines, and exclusively direct sales. To achieve this, Yann envisioned a diversified permaculture-style farm where plants and animals complement each other: rotating orchards, vegetable gardens, and meadows, micro-crop areas, and hectares of rangeland for his laying hens or for green manure. The result is a production with a taste of freedom sold in Drivulinu (a mix of drive-through and tragulinu “street vendor”), the online sales platform launched with a local collective to streamline logistics. Time saved that Emilie and Yann can devote to this “garden where we cultivate the pleasure of living like farmers.”
YANN SOLO BIO
LD Peragnolo
20230 LINGUIZZETTA
Chez Marie’s grocery store: Corsican specialties and a touch of Italy
Once the meal is over, it’s not uncommon to want to take a little piece of Chez Marie home with you. Exactly what our grocery store is all about!
Here, the same conditions apply as in the restaurant: mostly local producers, with minimal shipping and packaging.
The aisles feature local specialties like coppa and Nustrale pork bulagna (Chef Sergio’s secret weapon in carbonara), sheep’s milk cheese, olive oil from Moulin Oltremonti, jars from Atelier de la Moutarde, and even Nuciola (a regional spreadable treasure) and Salinu (gomasio from the island).
Exceptions to the locality – the Chef’s roots oblige: Setaro pasta (cult and imported in pallets of 500 to reduce the C footprint), THE Balsamic from Acetaia San Giacomo, anchovies with Campania salt or even the (THE) buffalo mozzarella. Inimitable.