Clairette de Die AC; Clairette de Die Tradition AC [kleh-RHEHT duh DEE]
appellations, centered around the village of Die on the eastern edge of France’s Rhône region that produce sparkling wines. Clairette de Die AC wines are made from the Clairette grape using the méthode champenoise; Clairette de Die Tradition AC wines are made with at least 50 percent Muscat grapes (usually much higher) and the rest Clairette via the méthode dioise (also called méthode tradition). méthode dioise is a variation of the rural method and unique to this appellation. To create effervescence using this method, the must is chilled (which slows fermentation) before the wine is bottled. When the chilled, bottled wine begins to warm, the fermentation process is renewed. As with méthode champenoise, the by-product of this fermentation is carbon dioxide, which creates bubbles in the bottled wine. The méthode dioise technique for removing sediment is to decant and filter the wines under pressure, which eliminates the sediment while retaining as much effervescence as possible. The wines are then rebottled. The Muscat-based wines usually receive higher praise than the Clairette-based ones.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.