The little mountainous region of Jura in eastern France makes an easy side trip from Burgundy. In wine terms, the Jura region is the smallest in France, and yet last year its wine route was awarded a prize from the European Commission in the competition for “Destinations d’Excellence”. The region has made huge strides in providing a welcome for visitors in just the past five years - there are informative leaflets and maps available, signposting is improving, and several restaurants work with the local winegrowers providing an excellent wine list and advice on how to match the wines with the food.

Jura - view to Arbois and its vineyards

The real heart of the wine region is around the delightful small town of Arbois, associated closely with Louis Pasteur, who spent much of his childhood and early adulthood in the little town. The town has tasting rooms and great food shops and is a pleasure to wander around for a couple of hours. There are good restaurants, a couple of hotels and recently I discovered a fabulous new B & B. Arbois also gives its name to one of the most important wine appellations in the region, the other being Côtes du Jura. Both of these appellations produce a bewildering range of wines of all colours and styles, but their unusual flavours offer a welcome change from international styles. For more details on the wines, read this educational article I wrote a while back for a great UK-based wine site.

Further south towards Jura capital Lons le Saunier, the hilltop village of Château-Chalon is a must-visit when you are touring in the area – just park the car and wander around, soaking up the stunning views wherever you can. Here the most famous vins jaunes of the Jura are made. In the middle of the village you will also find a really interesting, recently opened local information centre, La Maison de la Haute Seille. Whilst in that area, it’s also worth taking a trip to the outstanding village of Baume-les-Messieurs, home to a famous abbey and set in a glorious amphitheatre of cliffs.

Jura - Chateau-Chalon

As a small region, with the exception of a couple of companies, most of the Jura wine producers tend to be family-run enterprises and except in peak summer months, it pays to make an appointment before you call in to visit. When you do, you will find these growers only too happy to explain the wines over a comprehensive tasting. However, one of the best ways to appreciate Jura wines is over a leisurely meal in one of the growing numbers of good restaurants in the area around Arbois or Château-Chalon. There are plenty of walking opportunities in this beautiful countryside to work off all the hearty dishes – the classic dish not to miss is Poulet de Bresse au Vin Jaune (local Bresse chicken made in a vin jaune sauce).

Vineyards in Chateau-Chalon

The Jura really is a hidden gem of a wine region and was my original inspiration in creating the Wine Travel Guides website (did you read the interview here?). If you are planning a visit to the Jura, make the most of it by using my two Wine Travel Guides to plan your private wine tour. When you are ready to subscribe to the guides, use the special promotional discount code for Wandering Educators visitors.