Start With Crémant
Crémant du Jura and ouillé Chardonnay are friendly first steps into the region.
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Wine Regions
Small, quirky, and beloved by sommeliers, the Jura makes wines you will not find anywhere else. Here is what they taste like and where a curious beginner should start.
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The Jura lies in eastern France, between Burgundy to the west and Switzerland to the east, on the lower slopes of the Jura mountains. It is a small region of rolling hills, forests, and dairy farms, best known in France for Comté cheese. The climate is continental, with cold winters, warm summers, and plenty of rain, making it one of France’s cooler wine regions. Vineyards sit on slopes facing west and south to catch the sun. The soils are mostly marl, a mix of clay and limestone in shades of blue, gray, and red, which suits Chardonnay and the local Savagnin. What really sets Jura wine apart is tradition. Winemakers here long aged white wines in barrels that were not topped up, letting a layer of yeast form on the surface. That practice gives some Jura whites a nutty, savory flavor found almost nowhere else in France.
Five grapes do most of the work. Savagnin is the region’s signature white grape, with high acidity and flavors of green apple, walnut, and spice; it is the only grape allowed in vin jaune. Chardonnay is the most planted grape and can taste like crisp, mineral Burgundy or, in oxidative styles, like hazelnuts and bruised apple. For reds, Poulsard (also called Ploussard) makes very pale, almost rosé-colored wine with red currant, cranberry, and earthy spice. Trousseau is a little darker and more structured, with red cherry and pepper. Pinot Noir, familiar from neighboring Burgundy, is also grown and often blended with the local reds. Jura reds are light in body and color, low in tannin, and very food-friendly. They can surprise people who expect red wine to be dark and heavy.
Jura whites come in two main styles. Ouillé (topped-up) whites are made the usual way, with barrels kept full to avoid air, and taste fresh and fruity. Sous voile whites age under a veil of yeast in barrels that are not topped up, gaining nutty, savory, slightly salty flavors. The most famous example is vin jaune, “yellow wine.” It is pure Savagnin, aged under the yeast for at least six years and three months before release, then sold in a squat 62-centiliter bottle called a clavelin. It tastes dry, with walnut, curry spice, and dried apple, and can age for decades. If it reminds you of fino Sherry, that is because both use a similar yeast film, but vin jaune is not fortified. The region also makes vin de paille, a sweet dessert wine from grapes dried before pressing, and Macvin, grape juice blended with local brandy.
The Jura has a handful of appellations worth knowing. Arbois, centered on the town of the same name in the north, is the largest and most famous, and it makes every style, with a strong reputation for reds from Poulsard and Trousseau. Côtes du Jura covers most of the region’s vineyards and also produces all styles. L’Étoile, a small area in the south named, by most accounts, for star-shaped fossils in its soil, is known for white wines from Chardonnay and Savagnin. Château-Chalon is the most special of all: it makes only vin jaune, from steep vineyards around a hilltop village. Two appellations cover the whole region by style rather than place: Crémant du Jura, a traditional-method sparkling wine, and Macvin du Jura. When you see Arbois or Château-Chalon on a label, you are looking at the heart of the region.
If you are new to Jura wine, begin gently. Start with a Crémant du Jura, an affordable traditional-method sparkler, much like crémant from elsewhere in France, with crisp apple and toast. Next try an ouillé Chardonnay, which will feel familiar if you like white Burgundy. Then open a light red from Poulsard or Trousseau, served slightly chilled; it is a great match for anyone who likes Pinot Noir or Beaujolais. Once you are curious, try a sous voile Savagnin and finally a vin jaune, ideally with food. The flavors are unusual and many people need a second sip to appreciate them. The region is also a center of natural winemaking, so you will find many low-intervention bottles. Serve whites at 50 to 55°F, vin jaune slightly warmer, and reds at about 55°F.
Jura wines shine with the region’s own food. Vin jaune and aged Comté cheese are a famous match: the nutty flavors mirror each other perfectly, a pairing worth trying from our guide to wine with cheese. The classic regional dish is chicken cooked in vin jaune with morel mushrooms and cream. Oxidative whites also suit curry spices, mushrooms, and walnuts. Fresh Chardonnay goes with trout and fish in butter sauce. Light Poulsard and Trousseau reds pair with charcuterie, roast chicken, and sausages from the nearby Morteau area. Vin de paille suits foie gras and fruit desserts. To visit, base yourself in Arbois, a charming town with many tasting rooms, and drive to the hilltop village of Château-Chalon for the views. The region is small and quiet, and many wineries are family-run, so call ahead.
| Grape or Style | Character | Try It With |
|---|---|---|
| Vin jaune (Savagnin) | Dry, nutty, walnut and curry spice | Aged Comté, chicken with morels |
| Savagnin sous voile | Savory, salty, oxidative | Mushrooms, walnuts, spiced dishes |
| Chardonnay ouillé | Fresh, mineral, crisp apple | Trout, fish in butter sauce |
| Poulsard | Very pale, red currant, earthy | Charcuterie, roast chicken |
| Trousseau | Red cherry, pepper, light tannin | Sausages, duck, pork |
| Crémant du Jura | Crisp apple, toast, fine bubbles | Appetizers, cheese puffs |
Crémant du Jura and ouillé Chardonnay are friendly first steps into the region.
These pale Jura reds taste brighter and more fragrant after a short chill.
Nutty aged Comté and vin jaune bring out the best in each other.
Learn Your Taste
Answer a few simple questions and discover styles that fit your palate.
Take the Wine QuizIt depends on the style. Fresh Jura whites taste crisp and mineral, while oxidative whites and vin jaune are nutty and savory. Jura reds are pale, light-bodied, and earthy, with red currant and cherry flavors.
Vin jaune is a dry white wine from the Jura made only from Savagnin. It ages under a film of yeast for at least six years and three months, giving nutty, spicy flavors. It is sold in a 62-centiliter clavelin bottle.
Partly. Both age under a layer of yeast, so they share nutty, salty notes. But vin jaune is not fortified with spirit, is made from Savagnin rather than Palomino, and is generally more acidic than fino Sherry.
The main red grape, Poulsard, has thin skins with little color pigment, so its wine is very light, sometimes close to rosé. Trousseau and Pinot Noir are slightly darker, but Jura reds are generally light in color and body.
Ouillé means the barrels were topped up during aging to keep air out. The result is a fresh, fruit-driven white wine, unlike the nutty, oxidative sous voile style aged under a film of yeast.
Prices vary. Crémant du Jura and simple Chardonnay or Poulsard are often reasonably priced. Vin jaune costs more because it ages for over six years and loses volume in barrel, and small production keeps some bottles scarce.
