Jura wine

Located in eastern France between Burgundy and Switzerland Jura wine region in the Jura has long been from other growing areas isolated. It has retained its centuries-old winemaking tradition with its own grape varieties ( Poulsard, Trousseau, savagnin, Béclan ), anachronistic extension types and wine specialties like Vin Jaune and Vin de Paille today.

History

The viticulture of the Jura began 58 BC with the conquest of the area by the Romans. About 30 years later, there was a pronounced cultivation. Instead of importing the wines of Italy, began about this time already first exports. Written mention is this in the works of Pliny the Younger.

The famous salt pans (Salins -les- Bains and Lons -le- Saunier ) the region helped by the commercial relations existing exports to the former Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and Germany. After the decline of the Roman Empire, there was little development in viticulture. This changed with the creation of the monasteries of Vaucluse and Bonlieu in the 5th or 6th century. As a result, the law was a major wine-growing region. From the 10th century are sufficiently documented in writing sources. The documents show that time already a concentration of viticulture around the cities of Arbois, Salins- les- Bains and Lons -le- Saunier. In parallel, developed three variants of vines:

• The wine in the context of the monasteries and the nobility, which has sought a quality cultivation,
• The bourgeois wine-growing in the vicinity of cities and
• The rural viticulture with smallest acreage for their own use.

The Jura wines were particularly appreciated by King Henry IV.

Beginning of the 19th century was the almost 20,000 hectares of vineyards which are distributed to more than 40 varieties. With the onset of phylloxera disaster almost the entire vine population was destroyed.

Today there are only about 1920 acres, on which about 85,000 hectoliters of wine are produced (as of 2005).

Geography

The growing area is oriented in a north-south axis, starts at Champagne- sur- Loue near Salins- les- Bains in the north and ends after about 80 km to Saint -Amour near the border with the department of Ain. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 250 meters to 450 meters above sea level and are located between the plane of Bresse and Jura mountains. In the north of the area outweigh clay soils, in the south rather calcareous soils.

Climate

The climate is strongly continental with very cold winters ( temperatures down to -15 ° C), summer is less consistently good as in Burgundy. The average sunshine time is 1750-1900 hours, and the average annual amount of rainfall is 1000-1400 mm per year.

Regions

The main appellations are Arbois, Château- Chalon, Cotes du Jura, Crémant du Jura and L' Étoile.

Arbois

The appellation of Arbois is awarded to 13 municipalities in the region around the town of Arbois. In the year 2002 22 521 hectoliters of red and rosé, 14 516 hectoliters of white wine, 539 hectoliters Vin de Paille and 260 hl Crémant were made to a total of 842 hectares of vineyards. It is thus the most important appellation in the Jura although it is an enclave within the Cotes du Jura.

Château- Chalon

At only 45 acres of the famous Vin Jaune around the small town of Château- Chalon is made. In the year 2002 1647 hectoliters were retracted from this noble wine. The quality requirements for this wine are high. In the years 1974, 1980, 1984 and 2001 not a single wine has been recognized as Vin Jaune, however, and therefore had to be sold as normal Jura wine.

Côtes -du -Jura

This appellation is to be found along the entire length of the Jura wine region. The acreage is 503 acres with a yield of 14 725 hectoliters of white wine, red and rosé 7662 hl and 572 hl Vin de Paille (as of 2002).

L' Etoile

The appellation L'Etoile is planted on only about 50 acres. This top-class white wines are produced exclusively. In 2002, these were 2718 hectoliters.

Specialties

• Macvin du Jura
• Vin Jaune
• Vin de Paille
• Crémant du Jura