The department of Jura (39) is in the region of Franche-Comte, the Doubs, Belfort and Haute-Saone. Its name comes from the Jura Alps, which rise to 1720m.

 

The department has 257,399 inhabitants and an area of 4999 km2. Its average altitude is 439m.

 

  The vineyards of the Jura: one of the smallest in France

 

 With only 1850 hectares, the vineyards of Jura are one of the smallest in France. This wine region stretches from north to south 70 km long and 6 km wide. From a geographical point of view, this band covers the Revermont and covers the geological divide between the Bresse and the Jura mountains. A scenic route that travels the vineyards to allow the curious to discover this exceptional vine region.

The main wine villages of the Jura are Arbois, L'Etoile, Château-Chalon, Lons-Le-Saunier, Montigny-les-Arsures and Voiteur.

 

The history of Jura

 

While the history of winemaking in the Jura is difficult to date, much evidence suggests that the origin of this wine is very old. One of the earliest references dates back to the year 80 AD in a book by the author Pliny the Younger.

The wine was exported outside the borders of Gaul, and in the Mediterranean to Greece. One can find descriptions in historical documents in Arbois in the tenth century and Chateau-Chalon and Salins-les-Bains in the sixteenth century.

In 1774, the region is mentioned in a list that defines 14 good plants for viniculture. The Jura wine had  a guarantee of quality and reputation. The vines grew over the years through the work and management of landlords and clergy. Crops covered just under 20,000 hectares up to the late nineteenth century until the phylloxera crisis. This insect, a kind of aphid came from the United States,  completely decimated the vineyards in 15 years!

 

Millardet Alexis (1838-1902), an ampelographer of Jura, developed in 1885 a fungicide and bactericide that fought effectively another scourge of the vine - mildew. This mixture of copper sulphate and lime is still used today, known as Bordeaux mixture. The specialist also developed the hybrid grape varieties to obtain plants resistant to phylloxera. This practice is no longer allowed today.

Nearly 2000 acres were immunized and replanted and the Jura vineyards were reborn from its ashes. The growers took the opportunity to develop new methods of operation and their efforts were rewarded in 1936 with the completion of their first appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) in Arbois- but this was just the beginning! In 1937, a year later, the wine got 3 new Jura AOC those of Chateau-Chalon, the Etoile and the Cotes du Jura.

 

 

 

  Wines from the Jura represent a small level of production compared to the national market (only 0.2% of French wines). However, their unique personality  give them  a prominent place in the French wine market.

 

 

Key figures of Jura

 

• The vineyards of the Jura extend over 1950 hectares (20,000 acres before the phylloxera crisis

 

  * 90% of the surface is used to produce wine appellations.

 

  * On average, production amounted to 90,000 hectoliters.

 

  * 3 structures make up the wine industry:

 

• 5 cooperatives that include 260 members on an area of 400 hectares: 22% of production

 

•  525 independent producers with a wine business: 36% of production.

 

• 201 small farms (an area of less than 1 hectare) that sell or retain for their own consumption.

 

 

 

The trade represents 42% of production volume.

 

 

 

 Climate and soil type :

 

 

 

The Jura region is a semi-continental climate.

 

The area of Revermont, an altitude below 400m, enjoys a milder climate than the higher altitudes, although there are many microclimates throughout the area.

 The winters are cold but the warm weather returns in the first days of spring through to late fall, with particularly hot summers. Spring is quite rainy with an average annual rainfall of 1150 mm per year, autumn is very cloudy which allows the vines to grow dramatically. The average temperature is between 11 ° C and 13 ° C and sunshine duration varies from 1700 to 1900 H H year.

The elevation of land that make up the vineyard varies from 200 to 400m. The land, located on hilly slopes , is facing primarily south, south-west and north which guarantees sunshine.

The terrain of the Jura is predominantly limestone, but there are also complex compounds of different soil marl (blue, gray, red, black), clays and limestone boulders. The combination of these three components creates remarkable vineyard land.

 

 Winemaking :

 

Different varieties

Today, 90% of the surface is under Jura wine AOCs.

 

The vineyards of the Jura are five varieties with different characteristics due to changes in soil, exposure and climate. The wines are made from monocépages or assemblies.

 

The red varietals:

 

 

• Trousseau

Red wine and rosé wine, grape variety specific to Jura.

It represents approximately 5% of the vines in the vineyard.

 

• Poulsard or Ploussard

Red wine and rosé wine, grape variety specific Jura grape clear. It Is the second most common variety in the Jura, with 20-30% of the area planted and 80% of red grape varieties of Jura.

 

 

• Pinot Black

 

Red wine, dark ruby red grape.

 

It represents 8-10% of the vines of the vineyards of the Jura.

 

 

The white varietals:

 

 

• Chardonnay 

 

The variety most common in the Jura, it occupies 50% of the vineyard area and represents 45% of the Jura wine varietals.

 

 

• Savagnin Jura

 

(White wine, grape variety specific Jura). This grape is the source of the Yellow Wine. It represents 15% of the plantings.

 

Appellations of Origin Jura

 

  There a 6 vineyards that have the Jura AOC:

 

 

- The terms "geographic"

 

 

AOC Arbois Arbois Pupillin

 

Red and white wine.

 

It is cultivated on 843 hectares with five varieties allowed, it produces 70% red wines and 30% of whites. It also awarded the first ever appellation in France.

 

 

AOC Chateau-Chalon

 

Yellow wine.

 

It is produced on 49 hectares with Savagnin.

 

 

AOC Star

 

It is produced white , yellow (vin jaune) , straw (vin de paille) and a form of sparkling (mousseux).

 

It covers 61 hectares.

- AOC Côtes du Jura

 

Produces all types of wines.

 

This is the second production Jura AOC on 640 hectares.

 

 

- The appellation called "products" refers to other types of wine produced

 

 

AOC Crémant du Jura

 

Sparkling white wine.

 

It is produced with the 5 varietals and is grown on an area of 210 hectares or 15,000 hectoliters per year on average, that’s about 16% of the total AOC Jura.

 

AOC Macvin Jura

 

Fortified wine, red or white.

 

It represents 3% of the total AOC Jura. It is aged 12 months in oak barrels.

 

 

 

 

Vin de Pays:

- The yellow wine (vin jaune)

 

Developed from the grape variety called Savagnin, it must be stored in oak barrels for 6 months and 3 months. Unlike other wines, the barrels are not "topped up" (wine added to the barrels to fill up the space created by evaporation) during this very long maturing. A layer of yeast is formed on the surface and becomes a veil that protects the wine from oxidation, while creating specific organoleptic qualities.

 

 

- The wine of straw (vin de paille)

 

This is a sweet wine made from grapes dried for at least  10 weeks minimum. Originally, bunches of grapes were tied one by one from barn rafters with straw. The yield is very low (because  100 kg of grapes are needed to make twenty liters of this type of wine).

 

 

Diary:

The Jura wine region attracts many tourists and many events are organized  throughout the year (exhibitions, tastings, festivals). Here are the most important:

 

 

The Festival of Ears and Mouth (Le Festival de bouche à oreille)

 

This is one of the most important of the Jura with about 100,000 spectators each year. It takes place every year during the second fortnight of July. It is a festival of mouth (discovery of local products Jura) and ears (many rock concerts, classical music or French music, are also organized). In 2010, the Festival will take place from 21 July to 1 August 2010.

 

 

 

The breakthrough of yellow wine

 

The festival takes place on 6 and 7 February 2010, it gives you the opportunity to taste the vintage of 2003, that has stayed for  six years and three months in barrels.

 

 

The Wine Route of Jura

 

A tour is open all year to learn about (and taste) the wines of the Jura.

 

 

Trivia

   * A bottle of the famous "yellow wine" has been walled up in the prestigious Parisian restaurant La Tour d'Argent. But you can not taste it, it is for future generations to discover!

 

*The scientist Louis Pasteur was born and grew up in Arbois,Jura. Owner of a vineyard, he studied the mysteries of fermentation and his work is behind the science of wine and winemaking.