The Pays Diois is an unmissable part of the « Clairette, Drôme Vallée », destination, known as « Vignobles & Découvertes », part of the programme of the Fascinant Week-end d’octobre and features on the « Chemins de la Clairette » with 8 walks through the heart of the vineyard. Tourism providers offer vineyard themed events, wine growing information or local produce. Entering a ‘Vignobles & Découvertes’ establishment is to choose wine tourism offering quality products.
Clairette de Die, an internationally renowned star
Is Clairette ‘piquette’ (poor quality)? No, quite objectively! Trying a glass of Clairette is a must in the Pays Diois, the cradle of this vintage.The production method of this additive free sparkling wine, following the pressing of the small grain clairette and muscat grapes, is to halt the fermentation by cooling. Fermentation then continues naturally from the sugar in the grapes. This is what is called the « la méthode dioise ancestrale ». Since the time of the Voconces, a Gallic tribe, Clairette de Die has become THE wine to accompany desserts for all the Diois festivities and Clairette is the top sparkling wine in France by volume. 260 growers work in what are the highest AOC vineyards in France, reaching 744 metres at Menglon. One third of the vineyards are organic.
In this sparkling landscape, the Crémant de Die is also produced; a ‘brut’ wine made using clairette, aligoté and muscat grapes, with the addition of a ‘liqueur de tirage’ to help it sparkle, as specified by the ‘méthode traditionnelle’ (the same as is used in Champagne).
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Tasting idea
We suggest trying Clairette with spring rolls or a slice of ginger bread/Bleu du Vercors cheese for a sweet and sour taste, also for dessert with a ‘pogne de Romans’ or a Zézé cheese (a patented product based on an unctuous meringue with cream, produced in Luc-en-Diois and Die). At aperitif time, Crémant de Die goes well with houmous on a blini.
