Clairette de Die is an appellation for Sparkling white wines from the area around the town of Die. It is located in the lower alpine foothills of the Eastern Rhône region of France. The wine is made by the traditional method (as in Champagne) entirely from Clairette grapes. It is generally marketed as Brut.
In contrast, Clairette de Die Tradition (aka Méthode Dioise Ancestrale) is not made using the traditional method. Instead, the partially fermented wine is bottled after one to two months to complete the Fermentation in the bottle. The wines only reach 7-9% and are quite Sweet and Fruity. There is often confusion between these two styles, both by consumers and wine professionals.
White muscat is a white grape variety of Greek origin. Present in several Mediterranean vineyards, it has several synonyms such as muscat de Die, muscat blanc and frontignac. In France, it occupies a little less than 7,000 ha out of a total of 45,000 ha worldwide. Its young shoots are downy. Its youngest leaves are shiny, bronzed and scabrous. The berries and bunches of this variety are all medium-sized. The flesh of the berries is juicy, sweet and firm. Muscat à petits grains has a second ripening period and buds early in the year. It is moderately vigorous and must be pruned short. It likes poor, stony slopes. This variety is often exposed to spring frosts. It fears mildew, wasps, grape worms, court-noué, grey rot and powdery mildew. Muscat à petits grains is used to make rosé wines and dry white wines. Orange, brown sugar, barley sugar and raisins are the known aromas of these wines.
wines from the region of Clairette de Die go well with generally quite well with dishes of spicy food, sweet desserts or beef such as recipes of pasta shells, king's cake with frangipane or fondue bourguignonne and accompanying sauces.
