Jura Jura Jura

The Vacherin Mont d'or should be here soon. They were ordered months ago. It's funny, I can be standing at the front of the store and i can smell them when they get delivered. It's that woodsy, spruce bark. It always reminds me of green peanuts.

This year we are going to serve them baked whole at our restaurant Au Petit Chavignol. The end result will be reminiscent of a fondue. It's something special you can't have all year round.

We'll have some Vin Jaune, Cremant du Jura and Macvin to wash it down with. Macvin du Jura is great. We wanted in on the wine list when we first opened, but couldn't source any until now. Macvin has been in production since the fourteenth century. It is made from five permitted grape varieties, and can be red or rosé when produced from the Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot noir, or white when produced from Chardonnay or Savagnin. The grapes are harvested late in season when their sugar content is at its highest. The grape must is aged in oak barrels for twelve months without prior fermentation in tanks. Marc du Jura, pomace-based eau-de-vie, is then added in a ratio of one liter marc for every two of must. Fermentation stops, leaving behind residual sugar and a sweet dessert wine. I like it a la "porch climber" in a short glass over ice before dinner.