Vin de Paille: Jura's Straw Wine

According to the Arbois cahier des charges, the Jura vineyard was devastated by phylloxera at the end of the 19th century, and the CIVJ's 2009 brochure records 20,000 hectares of vines across the department at the end of that century. Arbois was recognised by the decree of 15 May 1936, and the CIVJ's 2015 guide says Arbois was awarded the first French AOC label in 1936; Côtes du Jura and L'Étoile were both recognised by the decree of 31 July 1937. The Arbois, Côtes du Jura, and L'Étoile cahiers des charges each describe Vin de Paille as a Jura particularity, made by drying selected bunches off the vine to reach high sugar levels in a rather humid and cold climate. The CIVJ's 2015 guide says the Pressée du Vin de Paille is celebrated in the Jura at the end of January.

• Arbois AOC was recognised by the decree of 15 May 1936; the CIVJ's 2015 guide calls it the first French AOC label
• Côtes du Jura and L'Étoile AOCs were both recognised by the decree of 31 July 1937
• The cahiers des charges describe Vin de Paille as a Jura particularity, made to reach high sugar levels in a rather humid and cold climate
• The Pressée du Vin de Paille is celebrated in the Jura at the end of January (CIVJ, 2015 guide)

The CIVJ's 2009 brochure gives the Jura wine region a surface area of 2,000 hectares. The Arbois and Côtes du Jura cahiers des charges describe a cool oceanic climate with continental influences: a wide annual temperature range around an average of 10.5°C, a hot and humid summer, and more than 1,000 millimetres of rain a year. The Arbois text describes the autumn as generally sunny and dry but windy, and credits the relative dryness of that windy autumn with favouring the drying of grapes for Vin de Paille. The CIVJ lists three appellations that carry the Vin de Paille mention: Arbois, Côtes du Jura, and L'Étoile. The L'Étoile cahier des charges reserves that appellation for still white wines, and the CIVJ explains its name by the five hills around the village, forming the points of a star, and by the star-shaped pentacrine fossils found in its vineyards.

• Jura wine region: 2,000 hectares (CIVJ, 2009 brochure)
• Climate: cool oceanic with continental influences, an average around 10.5°C and more than 1,000mm of rain a year (Arbois and Côtes du Jura cahiers des charges)
• A dry, windy autumn favours the drying of Vin de Paille grapes (Arbois cahier des charges)
• L'Étoile is reserved for still white wines (L'Étoile cahier des charges) and covers 67 hectares according to the CIVJ

The cahiers des charges permit Chardonnay, Poulsard, and Savagnin for Vin de Paille in all three appellations, and Trousseau as well in Arbois and Côtes du Jura. Grapes are picked by hand in successive passes (tries), sound and at physiological maturity, and the finest bunches are selected and set aside to dry. Traditionally this drying took place on beds of straw, which gives the wine its name; the cahiers des charges also allow racks or hanging the bunches, and describe small perforated crates, racks, or wires in dry, airy buildings that are not heated. The cahiers des charges call this drying off the vine passerillage hors souche, set its minimum at six weeks, and forbid any heating of the air; the CIVJ's 2015 guide puts the usual drying at around three months. The dried grapes are pressed between Christmas and the end of February, giving 15 to 18 litres of must per 100kg of grapes according to the CIVJ, and the cahiers des charges require the grapes to be above 320 and below 420 grams of sugar per litre of must at pressing. The must ferments slowly and stops naturally, giving a naturally sweet wine that the CIVJ puts at 14.5 to 17% alcohol. The wine then ages until at least 15 November of the third year after the harvest, at least 18 months of it in wood; the Arbois and Côtes du Jura texts allow sale from 1 December of that third year.

• Permitted grapes: Chardonnay, Poulsard (Ploussard), and Savagnin in all three appellations; Trousseau also in Arbois and Côtes du Jura, not in L'Étoile
• Drying: at least six weeks off the vine on straw, on racks, or hanging, in ventilated premises with no heating of the air
• Pressing: sugar above 320 and below 420 g/L of must; 15 to 18 litres of must per 100kg of grapes (CIVJ)
• Ageing: until at least 15 November of the third year after the harvest, 18 months minimum in wood; the L'Étoile cahier des charges describes three years in small oak casks

Decanter's Jura travel guide (published 2015) recommends ending a visit to Domaine Daniel Dugois in Arsures with a vin de paille made from Chardonnay, Trousseau, Savagnin, and Ploussard grapes picked at maturity and dried on trays until they resemble raisins. The cahiers des charges record about 500 hectolitres of Arbois Vin de Paille, about 450 hectolitres of Côtes du Jura Vin de Paille, and about 60 hectolitres of L'Étoile Vin de Paille in 2009.

• Domaine Daniel Dugois (Arsures): vin de paille from Chardonnay, Trousseau, Savagnin, and Ploussard (Decanter, 2015)
• Arbois: about 500 hectolitres of Vin de Paille in 2009 (Arbois cahier des charges)
• Côtes du Jura: about 450 hectolitres of Vin de Paille in 2009 (Côtes du Jura cahier des charges)
• L'Étoile: about 60 hectolitres of Vin de Paille in 2009 (L'Étoile cahier des charges)

Vin de Paille is a traditional mention added to the name of the Arbois, Côtes du Jura, or L'Étoile appellation, not an appellation of its own. The AOC rules for Vin de Paille require hand-harvesting by tries, at least six weeks of drying off the vine on straw beds, on racks, or hanging, with any heating of the air forbidden, and ageing until at least 15 November of the third year after the harvest, 18 months of it in wood. The wine must reach at least 14% actual alcohol and at least 19% total alcohol, and its volatile acidity must stay below 25 milliequivalents per litre. The Vin de Paille yield is set at 20 hectolitres per hectare in all three appellations. The cahiers des charges reserve the 62cl clavelin bottle for vin jaune alone, and require Vin de Paille labels to state the vintage.

• A mention of three AOCs, Arbois, Côtes du Jura, and L'Étoile, not a standalone appellation
• Minimum 14% actual alcohol and 19% total alcohol; volatile acidity below 25 milliequivalents per litre
• Yield: 20 hectolitres per hectare
• Release from 1 December of the third year after the harvest (Arbois and Côtes du Jura cahiers des charges); the vintage is mandatory on the label

The Arbois cahier des charges calls Arbois the homeland of Louis Pasteur and notes that he owned a vine near the town. The CIVJ, the Jura wine interprofession, is based at Château Pécauld in Arbois. The CIVJ's 2015 guide says the Pressée du Vin de Paille is celebrated at the end of January, and that the Percée du Vin Jaune, which it calls the largest wine festival in France, is held on the first weekend of February each year.

• Arbois: Louis Pasteur's homeland; he owned a vine near the town (Arbois cahier des charges)
• CIVJ offices: Château Pécauld, Arbois
• Pressée du Vin de Paille: end of January (CIVJ, 2015 guide)
• Percée du Vin Jaune: first weekend of February (CIVJ, 2015 guide)

Primary sources (CIVJ and INAO cahiers des charges): https://www.jura-vins.com/le-voluptueux-vin-de-paille.htm, https://www.jura-vins.com/aoc-l-etoile.htm, https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/PNO-CdcArbois-cn220210.pdf, https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/PNO-cdcC%C3%B4tesduJURA-cn220210.pdf, https://www.jura-vins.com/medias/CDC_letoile11092011.pdf, https://www.jura-vins.com/medias/nos-vins/3-guide-vins-jura/VDJ-guide2015new-V2-Anglais.pdf, https://www.jura-vins.com/medias/documents-a-telecharger/docs-utiles/CIVJ_PLQ_Pro_2009_GB_web.pdf. Secondary source: https://www.decanter.com/wine-travel/france/the-decanter-travel-guide-to-jura-france-2361/2/. Last verified 2026-09-28