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Coteaux de Die is an appellation for the light, still, white wines from the area around the town of Die, between the Rhone river and the foothills of the Alps in south-eastern France. AOC Coteaux de Die wines are made exclusively from the Clairette grape variety, which is also used in wines made under the Clairette de Die and Cremant de Die appellations.
Die also stands out geographically from the rest of the Rhone valley: situated some 30 miles (50km) east of the Rhone river, the town and its vineyards are rather isolated in their elevated location.
The topography and soils of the area around Die are characterized by craggy outcrops of glacial rock formations and the high cliff faces of the Alpine foothills. The vineyards that produce the grapes for Coteaux de Die wines are planted in soils which are the product of thousands of years of erosion – a combination of chalky clays and sedimentary rocks. The climate here is no less dramatic, being highly changeable due to the proximity of the Alps to the east. Die is at the northern extreme of the Mediterranean climate zone, and therefore experiences periods of extended, intense sunshine and warm weather mixed with fast-developing mountain storms and rain showers.
