The Jura is France’s most idiosyncratic wine region — a narrow strip of vineyard tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss border that produces wines unlike anything else in the world. If you’re the kind of wine lover who gets excited by the unusual and the authentic, the Jura should be high on your list.
The signature wine is Vin Jaune, made from the Savagnin grape and aged for a minimum of six years and three months under a film of yeast called the voile. The result is a dry, intensely nutty, oxidative wine with a sherry-like character that pairs perfectly with the region’s famous Comté cheese. It’s bottled in the distinctive 62cl clavelin — a size unique to the Jura.
Beyond Vin Jaune, the Jura offers Chardonnay (both in oxidative and fresh ouillé styles), light and perfumed Poulsard reds, the deeper Trousseau, and Crémant du Jura sparkling wine that’s increasingly recognized as some of France’s best value fizz. Macvin, a fortified wine made from grape must and marc brandy, is another local specialty worth seeking out.
The region is small, relatively undiscovered by international tourists, and the producers tend to be charmingly eccentric. Arbois and Château-Chalon are the key villages, and a day or two of tasting here will open your eyes to a completely different side of French wine.