The sparkling wine appellation of Clairette de Die holds itsFestival de la Clairette de Die (Clairette de Die Festival) on 10 May 2024 in Aurel (26 Drome, ARA), a veritable feast of local food and all aspects of wine-making and drinking – with the added bonus of a local food market, music, dancing and ceremony! Clairette de Die AC is a sparkling wine made east of the Rhone Valley between Montelimar and Valence. It is made from the Clairette and Muscat grapes, and tends to be light, fruity/grapey and refreshing – not to be confused with the drier Cremant de Die AC which is made solely from the Clairette grape. So just to clarify – Clairette de Die tends to be mainly Muscat – whilst Cremant de Die is mainly Clairette!!?!
Clairette de Die is a naturally sparkling white wine, which is characterised by its fruity flavour and its floral aromas. No sugar is added during the production process. There is simply no need, since tasting it is like biting into an extremely ripe fruit, an apricot or a peach, and simultaneously inhaling the aroma of white flowers such as the rose, eglantine, or honeysuckle. The colour can be more or less intense, ranging from an extremely pale straw colour to golden, depending on the method of production used by the winemaker. The sugar contained in Clairette is derived solely from the grapes, which means that this is a naturally sweet wine.