Vercheny: Wine, Landscapes and Cultural Heritage

Wine tours reveal different facets of Clairette de Die; trails and historic sites offer further ideas for what to explore during your stay.

Wine and Tastings

The Union des Jeunes Viticulteurs Récoltants cultivates 60 hectares of vineyards on the very steep slopes of Vercheny, Aurel, Barsac and Saint-Sauveur-en-Diois. These slopes are among the appellation’s finest terroirs. The cooperative’s history began in 1961, when eight winegrowers pooled their equipment, vineyards and labour. At first, the combined vineyard area covered eight hectares.

The Union’s winery offers cellar tours on Fridays at 2 p.m. in July and August, and by reservation for groups of 15 to 70 people. The tour includes a video presentation and a tasting or sale of Clairette and Crémant. As set dates and booking conditions apply, check them before your visit. Cave Monge Granon also offers a cellar tour and tasting by prior reservation. The Maison de la Clairette welcomes visitors who want to learn about winegrowing and the Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée. You can choose between a tour with a tasting and a visit focused on winegrowing and appellations.

Landscapes and Trails

Vercheny-le-Haut sits at an altitude of 450 metres in the AOC Clairette de Die wine-growing area. From there, views extend to the Massif des 3 Bec and Mount Barry, which rises above the village. The Sentier viticole on the terrace of Vercheny-le-Haut explains the various stages of winegrowing and lies above the Drôme. An educational walk through the vineyards in Vercheny-le-Haut takes 35 minutes.

The ruins of Château de Barry offer a different view of the landscape. They stand on a rocky outcrop above the Drôme Valley, with a panorama stretching to the mountains of the Diois. The route to the château is a 12.81-kilometre circular walk. Its stated distance gives you a way to gauge the route. Access conditions can change, so check them before setting out.

History and Culture

The Maison du Gap brings together several historical details. At the beginning of the 17th century, it belonged to the noble De Neyrol family. Around 1750, the innkeeper Simon Lombard also began making ceramics there, including glazed stove tiles and faience tiles. Some pieces are still visible beneath the roof as reused building materials. Its successive uses make the site interesting in their own right.

A different collection is at the centre of the “Exposition minéraux et fossiles” exhibition at the Fondation Ardouvin. It displays 1,000 mineral and fossil specimens collected and donated by a private enthusiast. Together with the Maison du Gap, it offers a glimpse of two distinct subjects: local building and craft history on the one hand, and minerals and fossils on the other. If you want to take the landscape, winegrowing and cultural heritage into account when choosing where to stay, the places and activities described offer concrete points of comparison.

Discover more destinations: Colonzelle, Granges-Les-Beaumont, Saint-Jean-En-Royans, Puy Saint Martin, Treschenu-Creyers, Teyssières, La Charce, La Begude-De-Mazenc.

See the broader travel guide: Drôme.