Jurançon wines

-

 

Jurançon is an Appellation Controlée producing both sweet white wine – Jurançon Moelleux (about 70% of the production) but also dry white wines - Jurançon Sec.

The small wine region lies in a beautiful hidden corner of South West France in the department of the Pyrénées Atlantiques. The scenery is quite stunning with steep rolling hills, verdant green trees with the beautiful Pyrenean Mountain as a backdrop.The area includes about 25 “commnunes” (districts) where vineyards are tiny parcels interspersed between agricultural or livestock farms. The two principal grapes grown in the area are Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng.

As it is so hilly, a good percentage of the vines are terraced and arranged to face south or southeast for maximum sun exposure. By law harvest has to be done by hand, making harvesting incredibly physical and requiring a high fitness level. Beats going to the gym!

The area produces two types of wine: 

  • Jurançon sec is mainly made with Gros Manseng but also can include some Petit Manseng. Both grapes are usually picked in early October. 

Profile: The dry white wines are light and have a good acidity with an underlying minerality and crispness. Depending on the producer, there can be a fruity flavour like grapefruit, lemon and pears. You may also find an underlying honey although definitely not sweet.

 

Food pairing: Tastes delicious on their own as an aperitif or pair with dried ham, fish, trout or seafood and cheese (especially goat cheese)

  • Jurançon moelleux is predominantly made with Petit Manseng but some varieties also include Gros Manseng. The process of Vendange tardive (late harvest) is to leave the grapes on the vines for a long time allowing the weather and wind to shrivel them and therefore concentrating the sugars. The grapes need a long time to ripen and are often not harvested until late November. There is actually a law (Of course! French bureaucracy…) that stipulates that the vendange tartive cannot take place before the 2nd of November. The larger quantity of grapes (much smaller size and a lot less juice) required to produce a single bottle explains the steeper price of these beautiful wines.

Profile: Fresh, crisp and fruity nose with fresh tropical fruits. Taste of honey and viscous consistency but the undernote of acidity is never lost.

Food pairing: Classically served with Foie Gras. Because of the underlying acidity,can be drunk as an aperitif or a dessert. Also goes well with salty blue cheese like Roquefort and any dessert with cooked fruits.


Headline picture: vines in the picturesque area of Jurançon 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pear Almondine

-
Image
This recipe is from one of my favourite chefs, Raymond Blanc, and was demonstrated live last Saturday on his ITV programme  "Simply Raymond". "Tarte aux poires et aux amandes" translates into English as "Pear Frangipane tart or Pear Almondine".   Frangipane,  an almond-flavoured sweet pastry cream, is widely used in France in various desserts, pastries and cakes. Serves 6 to 8 people Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes + 10 minutes cooling time. Ingredients 100 g unsalted butter, room temperature 100 g caster sugar 100 g ground almonds 1 teaspoon cornflour 1 egg, medium, organic/free-range 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 pear halves, tinned or from a jar 80 g melted butter to brush the inside of the tart ring or use spray oil To serve A handful flaked almonds (for extra flavour, first toast them in a dry pan) Icing sugar, for dusting Method Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place a tart ring, about 18cm x 2cm, on a lined baking tray...
Read more

Les vendanges

-
Image
Vendanges is the term used in France to identify the grape-picking season. Nearly every region in France produces wine, ranging from small local personal holdings to some of the world’s most acclaimed labels. In French, les vendanges is an activity that gets the entire community involved, particularly in areas where it is still carried out entirely by hand. Some harvests have introduced some machinery, but it still requires a reasonable-sized workforce. Harvesting is physically demanding, back- breaking and often done in challenging weather. Despite this, it is hugely rewarding. Every year, thousands of people across France volunteer to participate in the wine harvest, often in return for a meal and a place to sleep rather than a wage. Depending on the size of the vignoble (the vineyard), it can take up to two weeks to handpick all the grapes.  I still vividly remember the happy days spent grape picking at my father's smallholding. The day was punctuated by sociable pauses ...
Read more

La vache qui rit celebrates its 100th birthday

-
Image
  The iconic “ Vache qui Rit ” (Laughing Cow cheese) celebrates its 100 th birthday in 2021. One of my favourite snack as a little girl was a slice of fresh baguette ( Baguette put forward as France cultural status at UNESCO )   and a triangle of “V ache qui Rit!”    “La Vache qui Rit” is a brand of processed cheese famous for its spreadable texture and wedge shaped portions. The cheese consists of a blend of cream, milk and fresh and aged cheeses, particularly Comté, which is then pasteurized. Leon Bel, a cheese maker based in the Jura, originally created the famous cheese triangle in 1921. The product was revolutionary, both for its wrapped individual portions and the special formula (still a secret to this day) which enables the cheese to stay fresh for a longer period.   Initially, “ La Vache qui Rit ” (Laughing Cow) was sold in a round metal tin featuring an image of a white cow on a red background behind a black gate. In 1924, Benjamin Rabier...
Read more