Clairette de Die

Most written evidence agrees that winegrowing in this area dates back to the 2nd century BC. In 70 AD, Roman author Pliny the Elder wrote in his Natural History about the “production of sparkling wine by the Vocontii” - the forefathers of the Diois. Legend has it that the Vocontii would take their jars of wine to the Drome river and leave them submerged for the winter. When they retrieved the jars in spring, they found the contents had turned to a sweet, sparkling liquid - a “precious nectar”. These days we know it as Clairette de Die appellation wine.

The word “clerette” first appeared in 1748 in correspondence from a notary in Châtillon-en-Diois. Over the years, the planted area continued to expand, reaching its peak around the mid-19th century, when the vineyards measured some 6,000 hectares. But around 1870, the phylloxera crisis wiped out up to 80% of plantings and only 1,000 hectares remained. Clairette de Die was originally sold in 220-litre barrels. It was not until 1925 that the format we know today began to appear – glass bottles plugged with natural cork, restrained by a wire muselet. For many years, Clairette wine was confined to its home region. Transportation was difficult in such a mountainous landscape, and wine made by the Ancestral Method could prove unstable. It was finally introduced nationwide when the area opened up in the 19th century, and in 1942, Clairette de Die was awarded AOC status.