After a much-needed hiatus, the Percée du Vin Jaune in France’s Jura region is set to make a long-awaited return on 31 January and 1 February 2026 in Lons-le-Saunier. Striking a careful balance between popular enthusiasm and growing professionalisation, Jura is poised to unveil its most coveted treasure once again, determined to reaffirm the international stature of its vineyards.
Contents:
- A fresh take on a long-standing event
- When patience becomes an art form
- Letting time take its course
- A characterful vintage
- An archipelago of flavours
A fresh take on a long-standing event
The Jura wine region might be France’s smallest, at times it can have a seismic impact on the nation’s wine scene. After record attendance – with up to 60,000 visitors in 2016 – the Percée du Vin Jaune festival, which celebrates the tapping of the first barrels, took a break in 2025 to allow the event to reinvent itself. Having long relied on a group of dedicated volunteers, the association behind the festival recruited the help of an events manager tasked with coordinating its 28 working groups. This additional support allowed the winegrowers to refocus on their core craft, while enabling Victor Feuvrier to shoulder the responsibility of 2026 ambassador with confidence. “Succeeding figures such as Pierre Rolet and Georges Vandelle is both a great source of pride and an experience that is as rewarding as it is unexpected”, he admits. A winegrower, vice-chairman of the Byards cellar door facilities in Le Vernois and a wine merchant, Feuvrier views the event as far more than a preview of the latest vintage. “The public is looking for an all-round experience – one that embraces wine, celebration, history and the region”. By continually expanding its programme of activities and regularly changing host locations, “The Percée has reached out to a broader, younger audience”, with each event recounting the story of a different village and vineyard site, guided by a single-minded ambition: “To make people want to come back”.
When patience becomes an art form
The centrepiece of this celebration is “the wine of kings and king of wines”. Made from single varietal Savagnin, it accounts for a minuscule share of Jura wine production, yet gleams in the glass like a nugget of gold. Justfour Jura appellations are entitled to produce Vin Jaune: Château-Chalon, Arbois, Côtes-du-Jura and l’Étoile. As for its origins, they are shrouded in legend, divided between two enduring tales. One tells of the absent-minded winegrower who rediscovered the contents of a forgotten barrel after many years. The other credits the abbesses of Château-Chalon with devising the technique of maturing wine under a veil of yeast. Whatever the truth, ‘vin jaune’ is, above all, a lesson in patience.
Letting time take its course
“Traditionally fermented white wine is placed in wooden casks for a minimum of six years and three months. Winegrowers do not top up the barrels. They never add wine to compensate for natural evaporation. A veil of yeast then forms on the surface, creating a biological barrier which protects the wine against oxidation whilst infusing it with complex aromas, notably walnut and toasted almond”, explains Feuvrier. By the end of this maturation marathon, the ‘angels’ share’ has claimed its dues: from the initial one litre of this ambrosial wine, just 62 centilitres remain. That volume translates precisely to the contents of the Clavelin – the only bottle permitted for this outstanding wine. The process helps explain why this high-end wine commands a premium, typically retailing for between 35 and 40 euros a bottle. It also underscores the importance of education: “Visitors have often heard of Vin Jaune, but are not always aware of its production method. Some like it, some don’t, but it is our responsibility to explain that this is a truly singular wine – one that they might not instantly enjoy. It takes time to understand, and it demands the right food pairings”.
A characterful vintage
The 27th festival will celebrate the percée or opening of a 228-litre cask from the 2019 vintage. A demanding year marked by spring frosts and a challenging summer, 2019 yielded low volumes but high quality grapes. Victor Feuvrier is already effusive: “We are now seeing beautifully balanced vins jaunes boasting great persistence and remarkable complexity on the palate”. The celebrations in Lons-le-Saunier promise to reward the long wait. At the traditional auction, a bottle from 1895 will remind attendees of vin jaune’s ability to travel through time, staying as young and fresh as ever across the centuries. The event itself is embracing the modern era with a dedicated mobile app helping visitors navigate their way around the 47 cellar door boutiques open to the public. Culinary ‘battles’ will also add a playful dimension to food and wine pairings. The festival’s ambassador maintains that a platter of regional cheeses or Bresse poultry with morel mushrooms remain the ultimate companions, but encourages imbibers to expect the unexpected when pairing vin jaune: “Some exotic dishes work wonderfully, especially spicy, curry-based cuisine”.
An archipelago of flavours
While Vin Jaune may act as a beacon, guiding enthusiasts towards the hillside vineyards of Jura, it by no means eclipses the region’s remarkable diversity. “It fully plays its role as an ambassador, including on the international stage. It draws visitors in, then leads them to discover other wines”, Feuvrier observes. The aim is to introduce the full spectrum, from Crémant du Jura – which is increasingly popular “due to the significant improvement in quality in recent decades” – to light-bodied reds, with MacVin fortified wines completing the picture. “I am genuinely convinced that no-one can leave Jura without finding a wine they enjoy”. In 2026, the region will also celebrate the 90th anniversary of AOC Arbois and Château-Chalon. Together, these milestones share a common purpose – they lift the veil on this unique viticultural heritage.
Florence Jaroniak
: © Les Ambassadeurs des Vins Jaunes
To find out more, visit: www.percee-du-vin-jaune.com
www.jura-vins.com