Yield is very low in straw wine production: 100kg of raisins produce just 20 litres of nectar, which partly explains its scarcity!
secrets
Vin de Paille, a little-known wine
Let us tell you the secrets of straw wine (vin de paille). This unique white wine from the Jura vineyard is the result of patient work and a longstanding winegrowing tradition. Each stage of the winemaking process is long, from the harvest and sorting by hand and the ripening of the grapes to vinification and ageing. The end result is extraordinary. Visit the production sites, explore the straw-wine capital and discover some amazing food-and-wine pairings. The promise of a journey full of beautiful places and wonderful stories.
Jura's nectar
Straw wine
The Jura vineyard produces many gems and straw wine is one of them. This white dessert wine is a real concentrate of aromas. It is produced in small volumes and is not very well known at all.
- AOC: there are only 3 appellations that make straw wine, Côtes du Jura AOC, Arbois AOC and L'Etoile AOC.
- 3 grape varieties are used in the blending: Savagnin, Chardonnay and Poulsard. Each winegrower chooses the proportions for their own personal blend!
- A long winemaking process: at the beginning of the harvest, the best grapes are selected and left to dry on a wooden or straw grating for at least 6 weeks in a dry, well-ventilated place.
This allows time for the sugar and taste to become concentrated. They are then pressed before fermenting in vats, then spending 3 years in oak barrels.
Much of this work is done manually and the yield is minimal. This is one of the reasons why straw wine is so rare. But it's well worth it! All this good work produces an exceptional wine that bursts with flavour in the mouth!
Wine festival
Arlay, straw-wine capital and venue of the Pressée du Vin de Paille festival
The characterful village of Arlay is the capital of a great wine! Each year, from the beginning of January to the end of February, Arlay celebrates straw wine in a popular wine festival called La Pressée du vin de paille.
The programme includes Mass, blessings, inaugurations, a parade, wine pressing, vin-nouveau tasting, exhibitions, sales of local products, concerts, medieval costumes, entertainment and great food... so don't miss it!
page facebook de l'évènement
Did you know?
A concentrate of Jura
Food and wine pairings
From aperitif to dessert
An amber nectar with aromas of raisin and honey... as incredible as it seems, straw wine can be enjoyed from your aperitif through to dessert.
To die for served with foie gras and fruit purée (such as apricot, fig or grape),
Exquisite with poultry dishes containing fruit (pigeon, quail, duck),
Delightful with roquefort and blue-veined cheese, and the perfect grand finale with dried-fruit desserts and chocolate.
Its pleasures are endless. What a pity it's only a 37.5cl bottle!
Straw wine but not only…
Other iconic wines from the Jura Mountains
Vin jaune (yellow wine), Macvin, vin de paille (straw wine), Bugey wines … there's no shortage of gems for you to sample (with moderation)! To discover them, click this way!
