You’ve probably heard of it, vin de paille is a richly sweet, intensely flavored wine, mostly from the Jura. In this piece, we’ll cover what it actually is, how to drink it, and how it’s made.
What is vin de paille?
Vin de paille, also called vin paillé, is made from grape bunches that have gone through passerillage, a technique that concentrates sugar in the grape. The result is distinctly sweet, somewhere between off-dry and full-on dessert wine. On the palate, it’s rich, unctuous, light, and incredibly fine.
How to serve vin de paille
The serving temperature is between 7 and 10°C, fairly cool. We’d recommend a regular wine glass. It’s usually served as an aperitif with foie gras, or with dessert and dark chocolate. It pairs beautifully with anything orange-based or made with walnuts.
How is vin paillé made?
Vin de paille is made through a very particular winemaking technique. Unlike a regular wine, it takes much longer to produce. After harvest, the bunches are sorted and only the best ones are kept for vin de paille. Those bunches are then put through passerillage, concentrating sugar by reducing water, so what’s left is denser sugar.
To do this, the bunches are laid out on straw mats in the sun (hence the name, paille is “straw”). It can take weeks, sometimes months, to hit the right concentration. Once the grapes are ready, they’re destemmed and pressed to lose as little juice as possible. From 100kg of dried grapes, you only get about 20 liters of juice. By comparison, normal winemaking gets you 60 to 70 liters from the same 100kg. The musts then ferment until the alcohol level is right.
Where to buy vin de paille
Vin de paille is fairly easy to find. It’s in supermarkets and at some wine merchants. You’ll also find plenty of it in the Jura or on websites like Vinatis. So no excuse not to grab a bottle for your next dinner with friends or family, it’s the kind of discovery that always surprises people.
Where does vin de paille come from?
In ancient times, the Greeks had a fascinating relationship with wine. On the island of Thasos, they used the passerillage technique to make their wines. Back then, vin de paille was worth its weight in gold, especially around the Mediterranean. Today in France, it’s mostly the Jura that keeps the tradition alive.
What’s the difference between vin de paille and vin jaune?
Vin de paille and vin jaune often get mixed up, but it’s important not to. The big difference is the maturation: vin jaune is aged for 6 years, while vin de paille only spends 5 to 6 months. Plus, vin jaune is bottled in distinctive 62cl bottles called “clavelins”.
Vin paillé is no longer a mystery to you. But there’s so much more to learn about wine. Join Le Club to discover wine simply and for free. Le Club is also packed with wine courses, you’ll never hesitate over picking a bottle again. Just hop on board.
