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The Diois stretches south-east of Valence, a little away from the Rhône, over a total of about 1,400 hectares on the southern foothills of the Vercors National Park, a pre-Alpine mountain range, along the Drôme. Already in Roman times, a famous, slightly sparkling, naturally sweet wine made from Muscat and Clairette was produced here, as it still dominates wine production in the area today as Clairette de Die.

Clairette de Die is produced according to the Méthode ancestrale. The must, which ferments slowly at very low temperatures, is bottled during fermentation. The wines generally retain a residual sugar content of around 50 grams per litre; dosage is strictly prohibited. Ideally, this produces a juicy, moderately sparkling, relatively aromatic, sweet sparkling wine that is best enjoyed young and fresh. There are also dry Brut versions, but they are extremely rare. The rare Cremant de Die, which in contrast to the Clairette de Die must actually consist predominantly of the Clairette variety, while the Muscat predominates by far in the latter, is always made dry.

Christophe Grilhé

Even rarer than the Cremant are the wines of Châtillon en Diois. From just 65 hectares of vineyards at altitudes of up to 570 metres come white wines made from Aligoté and Chardonnay, as well as rosé and a sometimes wonderfully juicy red wine, made entirely or largely from Gamay, which you should definitely try if you happen to come across it.

Most of the wine production in the Diois is dominated by two large cooperatives. Only a few handfuls of winemakers bottle their wines themselves. So our seemingly small selection of just 23 wines nevertheless allows a good insight into the qualities of the region.

Rhône In Focus Clairette de Die

Rhône In Focus Crémant de Die

Rhône In Focus Chatillon en Diois

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