“No!” the passionate Frenchman says, starting a heated discussion about the Poulsard grape among a group of vignerons in the opulent dining room of the two-Michelin-star restaurant Jean-Paul Jeunet. We are in the Jura region of France, a wildly beautiful and rugged expanse of land with well-trained vineyards, spotted cows, and sleek horses at every turn. Where the Wild Things Are could very well have been conceived in the Jura.Poulsard (also called Ploussard) is one of the three indigenous grapes in the Jura, and at the moment it dominates the conversation among the producers, who speak of it in the passionate tone familiar to moviegoers from the Miles character in Sideways. I am in Arbois, one of the more famous wine appellations here, to discover more about Jura and its unusual, signature wines rarely seen outside France. Happily, thanks to some ambitious importers you can find these special wines in New York and other major cities. You are certain to find them delicious and quite exotic, flavored with the seductive spices of the East.Jura is about an hour from Burgundy, France and two hours south of Switzerland. The region's wines are incredibly long-lived. At a tasting in New York last Spring, I had a 1952 vintage Savagnin (the signature white grape) that was remarkably fresh and delicious. Its charismatic producer, Jean-Francois Bourdy, explained that such long-lived wines are common in his cellar, which had been in his family for fifteen generations. Dust off your history books and you will find that wines from Jura were famous with kings, which partially explains the prosperous appearance of so many villages that date from the Middle Ages. To produce Jura wine – especially the signature Vin Jaune and Vin de Pailles – would have been like having a private gold mine in your cellar.Today I am in the tiny yet ambitious appellation of Pupillin, where young, onyx-haired Damien Petit, of his family’s Desire Petite Vineyards, proudly introduces me to his village of less than 164 souls and escorts me through his vineyards. The tenderly trellised vineyards lie in dramatic contrast to the wild, untamed hills surrounding them. Perched on one towering hill are giant white letters spelling Pupillin, in the style of the famed Hollywood sign. Stepping into the vineyard (with the driving, dramatic rain and willful wind pelting from all directions), one looks down and can see a mosaic of earth, limestone shards, and the signature red clay soil known as marl.Marl is key to the success of the Poulsard grape, which is the most important grape in this village. Poulsard makes a light, nearly transparent red wine with the aroma of fresh young red berries, typically strawberries, and pairs very well with savory dishes (especially those prepared with mushrooms). Before our tasting of wines from other producers in this region and from his cellars, Damien gives me a tour of the winery and wine shop his grandfather created decades earlier. It is neat and clean, with stacks and stacks of boxes of the (drying) Poulsard grape used to make the sweet dessert wine Vin de Paille (nectar of patience), a specialty of the area. In accordance with tradition, these grapes are picked late in the season, and left to dry in boxes over the winter until they look like raisins, at which time they are pressed and fermented. Seeing them now, in early October, they still look moist and in plump, grape-like form. I imagine what it would be like to taste one, yet must content myself with a sample of the finished product – the Vin de Paille – to come later in the tasting.Looking about the cellar, I see family pictures showcasing generations of Petits posing with their boxes of drying Poulsard grapes. The earliest photos are sepia colored, then black and white, then Technicolor, than a sharper, modern color to showcase the appearance of little Damien holding his mother’s hand. Little remains of that child, as Damien is today a sophisticated salesman and ambassador for his wine and his region. Yet his mother, who just now brings baskets of bread to the tasting room, looks remarkably the same as she did then, down to her slim figure, slacks, and short red-brown hair.We taste Desire Petit Vineyards wines and many other excellent wines of the region from producers and cooperatives. All are excellent: the whites have the characteristic spice and exotic richness of the region, the red Poulsard and Trousseau are fruity, and the “speciality wines” – the Vin Jaune and Vin de Pailles – are well balanced and delicious.Lunch takes me to Auberge du Grapiot, a very cute and busy place with good food and the usual smiling, nimble staff. Looking at the bustling scene, consisting of what looks to be romantic couples, gossiping friends, and business people, I wonder how they all happened to turn up at the same time in this sleepy-looking village.Did you know that Louis Pasteur was born in Arbois, one of the four AOC wine making regions in Jura? Or that beyond his work with milk, he helped further the perfection of wine and beer fermentation? A question about wine- and beer-making prompted Pasteur's research into fermentation. Using a microscope he found that properly aged wine contains small spherical globules of yeast cells, whereas sour wine contains elongated yeast cells, leading him to the discovery that to produce the correct type of fermentation it is necessary to use the correct type of yeast.Pasteur lived in Arbois all his life. I tour his house, which has been turned into a museum. It is a thrill to walk through his hallways and rooms, and to peer out the window and see the same village he must himself have seen every day (in the Jura, little changes from year to year, decade to decade, century to century). Afterward, I taste wine from his vineyards, now owned by Henri Marie. As I drink the Recolte 1983 I am overwhelmed by its freshness and delicious taste, very elegant and balanced, with sophisticated strawberry jam flavors.Next up is a tasting in the cellars of Jacques Tissot in Arbois, with winemakers from the region. In addition to current vintages for sale, a few producers break out dust-covered bottles of 1969 and 1989, both banner years. Which brings us to that dinner with the producers at the abovementioned Jean-Paul Jeunet, which, with its two Michelin stars, is a destination for wealthy people who like good wine and food. It is a very busy place and the cheese cart looks fantastic.Today’s tour of the Arbois AOC, from the sepia photographs at Desire Petit to the nineteenth century home of Louis Pasteur and the bustling Jean-Paul Jeunnet restaurant, demonstrated how historically important yet vibrant this area really is.
