Wines of the Jura

Although the Jura's vineyards are not extensive, they are welcoming and traditional - and a magnet, not just for wine-lovers, attracted by the unique qualities of the wines they produce, but for other tourists too, attracted by the beautiful land that produces such special wines.

The Jura wine route offers intoxicating scenery, colourful heritage sites, sparkling nature and wildlife, and a gastronomic tradition that is sure to please.

Traditional vineyards and wines of the Jura region. At the end of the 19th century, before the phylloxera crisis, some 50,000 acres of the Jura department were covered in vineyards. Then, with their vineyards decimated, the winegrowers of the Jura bravely started again, taking the opportunity to introduce new methods that were to result in new wines of even greater quality. Their efforts were rewarded in 1936, when they achieved their first AOC in Arbois.

In addition to the climate, the subsoil and the grape varieties, the winegrower's expertise plays a fundamental role in the choice of wine-growing and wine-producing methods – and here the traditions and characteristics of the region are key. Diversity is probably the main feature of the vineyards of the Jura: 5 grape varieties, 6 AOC, around 200 estates of various kinds and a rich range of products, with something for every occasion. Still wines include reds, rosés, whites and the Jura's special 'vin jaune', but there are also sparkling wines (Crémant du Jura), dessert wines (Vin de Paille), mistelles, made with fortified grape juice (Macvin du Jura), marcs and other distilled products - surely the widest selection any vineyard could produce. Full of character, rich, varied, generous, typical – these are the terms that best describe the wines of the Jura region.