#Winophiles – Jura in the Afternoon

“There comes a time in every woman’s life when the only thing that helps is  glass of champagne.” – Bette Davis

I’m certain that if Bette Davis were to have said that quote in 2020, the glass would have been changed to a bottle at the minimum, but most likely a magnum. Let’s be brutally honest, this year has been a disaster in just about everything, and a glass of bubbly  is a temporary band-aid that helps numb the WTF moments.

Since March, I’ve been a hard-core shelter-in-place, stay in my bubble-friend-group person. Perhaps I am misguided in my thoughts that I am doing my part to flatten the curve and not put my family or friends at risk by doing so, but it is the right thing to do until more is known about COVID-19 (you know the old saying an ounce of prevention….).  It has at times felt isolating, other times liberating (who really wants to go to another rubber chicken lunch or gala post-pandemic),  and at times I feel like I’ve become agoraphobic. Sheltering in place has felt like the right thing to do based on all the world news I read (please note, I did say world not U.S. news as I feel that U.S. news has become biased based opinion news and not fact reporting). Sure, like everyone else, I miss the freedom to travel, attend a concert, or go out to dinner without worrying about safety protocol and unknown transmission of COVID-19 because most likely there are people at the restaurant not following the health and safety guidelines. (If you don’t believe me, look at your social media feed – friends are doing group selfies at social gatherings, posting photos of events where people are still grouped together like pre-COVID, etc. and so on.)

My first venture out of my home for an overnight stay, other than at The Artist and The Bankers house, was over the Columbus Day Weekend (or Indigenous People Day if you live in California). My best girlfriend aka The Writer, booked an Airbnb in Idyllwild for a creative weekend escape of writing, painting, cooking and reading. In other words, a chic weekend filled with doing absolutely nothing. My assignment was food and beverage director for the weekend.

Idyllwild is a quaint mountain town about an hour away from the Coachella Valley, and the weather forecast was 60 during the day and 35 at night. Perfect weather to explore some food and wine pairings from Jura.  Cool fall crisp air, cozy non-existent fireplace to warm up with….well you get the picture, I decided to order a case of wine from Jura/Bordeaux from K&L Wines assuming it would arrive in time for our girls weekend.  Small problem, California is having a hot Indian Summer in October and wine would not be shipped.  The Attorney (aka former sous chef) took sympathy on my dilemma and went to Total Wine and picked up some Cremant from Jura for me. (Remember the agoraphobic part – well, I’ve literally not been to a grocery store or retail store since March.)

Jura is a stunning region in France named after the Jura Mountains.  It’s referred to as France’s Winter Wonderland. The valley regions provide a temperate climate, while the mountain regions can be bitterly cold in the winter. Due to phylloxera the region has five varietals that are authorized – two which are white, Chardonnay and Savagnin Blanc. The reds grown in this region are Pinot Noir, Poulsard, and Trousseau.  Savagnin Blanc is the signature wine of the region.

The region is also known for food and wine pairings such as Vin Jaune with chicken and morel mushrooms or Comte Cheese. Vin Jaune is known  as yellow wine and is quite unique as it is an oxidized wine and is known as the “King of oxidized wine”.  The wine is not bottled until it has an age of 6 years and 3 months.  It is also uniquely bottled in 620 ml bottles called clavelin.  It is also a wine that have been highly favored by many such as Collette.   Unfortunately, those pairings and tasting notes will have to wait until Mother Nature decides to bless us with cooler weather for my wine to ship.

If you would like to get more in depth information on the wine style and region, I found this great overview.

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Jura has eight Cremant AOCs and these follow the same basic production rules which include hand-harvesting, regulations for the types of press used, use of the traditional method with a minimum of 9 months in contact with the second fermentation lees before disgorgement, and no sales allowed before 12 months after bottling. All five Jura authorized grape varieties can be used for the base wine, but for the white (blanc) Cremant du Jura, there must be a minimum of 70% Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Trousseau, and for rosés a minimum of 50% red grapes. Savagnin Blanc can never be more than 30% of the Cremant du Jura Blanc.

We kicked our girls’ weekend off by popping open a bottle of Tissot Maire Cremant de Jura Brut. It is a perfect afternoon sip. The wine is crisp and festive, with tiny bubbles that tickle the palate. Our pairing was a simple platter of cheese, charcuterie, and grapes (aka the perfect nibble for any time of day).

Wine Notes:

This Cremant (sparkling, Brut) is made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The nose has hints of delicate flowers, a hint of honey and fruit. It is a beautiful wine that is sure to bring a lightness to your mood and fill your heart with happy memories.

It is a medium-bodied wine. It is substantial enough to pair with food, but light enough to enjoy on its own.

Retail price $17.99 at Total Wine & More

Here’s a listing of the articles we can look forward to reading when the French Winophiles visit the Jura!

Culinary Adventures with Cam will share Seafood B’Stilla + Domaine Rolet Arbois Trousseau 2012

Pinny from Chinese Food and Wine Pairings will share Sipping Tissot-Marie Crémant Du Jura and Snacking Fried Pork Skin

Linda from My Full Wine Glass is sharing Back to the Jura (virtually), for Crémant this time around

Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles shows us  Channeling the Jura for a rooftop getaway with a bottle of Savagnin and Friends

Payal from Keep the Peas explains Sherry? No, Jura

David from Cooking Chat entices us with Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs with Jura Wine

Terri from Our Good Life will tell us about Sparkling Jura for Celebratory Moments

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm  tempts us with Bourride served with a Chardonnay from Jura

Nicole from Somm’s Table shares Cooking to the Wine: Two Savagnins from Domaine Daniel Dugois with Coquilles St. Jacques

Gwendolyn from Wine Predator shares Exploring Flavors of Jura Food and Wine Take Two: Trousseau and Melon

Susannah from Avvinaire tells us about Discovering Delights From Jura Region

If you want a deep dive into Jura here is a video to immerse yourself into. Wink Lorch also has a book on Jura wine that is available on Amazon for $34.99/Paperback or $9.99/Kindle.

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