Jura and Savoie explained. Vin Jaune and the grapes of the Alps.

Two Alpine corners of France

The Jura lies between Burgundy and Switzerland, in the foothills of the Jura Mountains. Soils are marl and limestone, and the climate resembles Burgundy's but with longer, colder winters, so most vines face south to catch the sun. Savoie lies further south, by the Swiss border, with vines on mountain slopes between about 250 and 550 meters. South and southeast exposures and nearby rivers and lakes give it a surprisingly warm microclimate.

Host Sarah Heller MW remembers when the Jura became the insider's favorite region in Hong Kong, and when local food lovers decided Vin Jaune was the perfect match for hairy crab. She is joined by Paz Levinson, Best Sommelier of the Americas. These wines can be hard to find outside France, but a new generation of growers is bringing them to a wider audience.

Savagnin and Vin Jaune

Savagnin, known as Traminer in Germany, is the Jura's celebrated white grape. Thick-skinned and hardy, it ripens well while keeping strong acidity. Its most famous wine is Vin Jaune, a dry wine aged under a film of yeast called the voile for six years and three months. Unlike Fino Sherry, Vin Jaune is not fortified. It tastes nutty and spicy, with notes of green apple, fennel seed and curry, and the best can last for decades. It is bottled in a distinctive 62 cl bottle and made in appellations such as Côtes du Jura, Arbois, L'Étoile and Château-Chalon.

Savagnin is also made as ouillé, a topped-up, non-oxidative white that is savory and saline. The hosts compare the two styles side by side, including a Savagnin from Domaine du Pélican, and pair them with cheesy gougères.

Chardonnay, Poulsard and Trousseau

Chardonnay covers nearly half the Jura's vineyards and, in the hands of top producers, can rival Burgundy; the hosts taste one from Bénédicte and Stéphane Tissot. The reds are light and charming. Poulsard, thin-skinned and pale, gives raspberry, redcurrant and floral notes and is often used for rosé. Trousseau, known as Bastardo in Portugal, is darker, more tannic and violet-scented. Paz even finds old Trousseau vines in Argentina's Río Negro.

Poulsard is the most widely planted red and is used mainly around the village of Pupillin, often blended with Trousseau. Trousseau seems to be French in origin, but its largest plantings are in Portugal, where it has long been used in Port. Both make light, fragrant reds that suit the current taste for fresher, lower-extraction wines.

Savoie: Jacquère, Altesse and Mondeuse

Savoie has three appellations to remember. Vin de Savoie AOP includes 16 crus, such as Apremont for whites and Arbin and Chignin for reds. Roussette de Savoie AOP is made from 100% Altesse, and Seyssel AOP makes dry and sparkling whites from Altesse and Chasselas. The cru Chignin-Bergeron is made only from Roussanne, known locally as Bergeron.

Jacquère is the everyday white: dry, bright, low in alcohol and perfect after a day on the slopes, as a Vin de Savoie from Charles Gonnet shows. Altesse gives finer, age-worthy wines with honey and hazelnut. The red star is Mondeuse, deep purple with violets, dark berries and black pepper, at its best around Arbin.

The experiment: how Vin Jaune is made

Why does Vin Jaune end up in a 62 cl bottle? The hosts show how oak barrels breathe, how the voile forms on the wine's surface and how evaporation concentrates the wine over six years and three months. Paz has a rather impatient idea for speeding things up.

Two blind tastings with the help of a ski boot, and a non-traditional beef enchilada pairing, round off the episode. It helps you prepare for WSET Level 3, with grapes, appellations and winemaking explained.