Some 20 miles to the east of the Rhône river is the picturesque Drôme Valley, where the Drôme river flows down from the Alps. This marks the halfway point in the Rhône Valley and the boundary between the Northern wines and the Southern. It is also the marker between the alpine country to the north and the Midi and Provence areas of the south.
Still wines produced around the town of Châtillon southeast of Die are sold as Châtillon-en-Diois. The whites consist of the Burgundy varietals Chardonnay and Aligoté, while the rosés and reds are made from a minimum of 75% Gamay blended with Pinot Noir and Syrah.
While there has been improvements in the last decade, the wines of Châtillon-en-Diois are still on the thin and rustic side, a deadly combination when trying to produce quality wines. Indeed the area is known more for the sparkling wines sold as Clairette de Die and Crémant de Die, and bare little resemblence to the hefty wines of the Rhône despite the proximity between the two.
France → Rhône → Northern Rhône
French AOC