White-wine grape that is widely cultivated in southern France. It is also known by its full name Clairette Blanc. Clairette is one of the white grape varieties allowed by the French government for use in the red CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE and the white CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE wines. Its name is tied to the AOCs of Clairette du Languedoc and Clairette de Bellegarde in the Languedoc-Roussillon region and to the CLAIRETTE DE DIE in the central RHÔNE. By themselves, Clairette wines are generally high in ALCOHOL, low in ACID, and rather bland. The Clairette de Die SPARKLING WINES have a good reputation, but that’s primarily because the BLEND includes Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (MUSCAT), which provides the distinctive aroma and flavor. Clairette is also grown in Australia, where it’s known as Blanquette, as well as in South Africa, where it’s known as Clairette Blanche.