What is Vin Jaune?

Vin Jaune, or “yellow wine,” is a style of oxidized white wine that’s a specialty of the Jura region in France. It’s made from savagnin grapes, which are fermented into a dry wine, and then aged in barrel for six years before bottling. Because the barrels aren’t topped off during that time, a layer of yeast, or ‘voile’ develops on the surface, allowing in small amounts of oxygen over time. This process, which darkens the color to yellow, also occurs in the production of Sherry. As a result, Vin Jaune and Sherry share some of the same nutty, spicy, curry-like flavors. Unlike Sherry, however, Vin Jaune is not fortified, and has an alcohol content in line with white wine. Vin Jaune is bottled in a squat, 620ml bottle called a clavelin.