Clairette de Die

Clairette de Die is a kind of sweet white sparkling wine made from the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (75% minimum) and Clairette (25% maximum) grape varieties. It is produced in the Drôme department of France, in a part of the Rhône valley near the town of Die (pronounced "Dee"). The vineyards are some of the highest in France, between 400 and 700 metres above sea level. The region has a very long history of wine-growing, going back to Roman times.

The wine is bottle fermented. The muscat grapes which ripen first are kept separate from the clairette grapes. The grape juice is kept a low temperature, about 7°C, which means the fermentation will be slow and takes time. After filtering, but leaving some yeast the juice is blended in the bottle. It must be fermented in the bottle for at least another four months. The wine is then filtered again and put into new bottles for sale.

References

Category:French wines