Thank you for sharing! I teach WSET Level 3, so update with insights like these are really valuable. I didn’t even know about the Takij story—very interesting!
I'm glad my piece on wine-searcher resonated with you, especially the quote that was given to me by an importer (anonymously), which you used at the top of this peice. The reality, is that there is already quite a lot of Vin Jaune (a lot, relative to the tiny amount available) sold in the US and only a very few producers (certainly no top producers) have any more to sell, so the change in law is interesting in that it legalised the tiny trade that was already in place.
Contrary to what you wrote further down the piece, Jura has been doing spectacularly well in the US for over 12 years now, especially in the last 8 years (mainly the large number of excellent organic producers, but not only) It's the region Somms love to speak about and share. Until Paris caught up and became interested in the Jura in the past few years, there was more Jura wine available in NYC than in Paris. The biggest problem is not on the US side, it's on Jura's side in that the effects of climate change have brought some drastically reduced vintages (more so than other regions), and so quantity is hard to find. What's more, many producers are no longer looking to sell to the US as they have sufficient customer closer to home.
As for Vin Jaune, it represents just 4 - 5% of what Jura produces/sells worldwide, and that's from a wine region that produces less than 0.2% of France's total wine production.
More details in my two books, Jura Wine (2014) and its companion volume, Jura Wine Ten Years On, published last year, available from Académie du Vin Library.
Thanks for your insights! I really appreciate the deeper context on Jura’s presence in the US market - especially the fact that NYC was ahead of Paris in embracing these wines long before the trend caught fire in France. That’s a fascinating dynamic that speaks volumes about how somm-driven markets shape demand. I just think you misunderstood my statement on Jura - I was referring exclusively to vin jaune, not the region as a whole. Additionally, I’m not really sure what you’re referring to when you mention that vin jaune has been on the US market for a long time since your original article points out that the bottle shape just became legal. Please correct me if I’m wrong, maybe I’m overlooking something here.
Your point about supply being the real issue rather than demand is well taken. Climate change has already had a massive impact on small regions like Jura, and with limited volumes and strong local demand, it makes sense that some producers aren’t looking to expand exports. I suppose the real takeaway here is that while the US regulatory shift is symbolically significant, the actual commercial impact may be marginal - vin jaune’s rarity and production constraints mean it was never going to flood the market anyway.
I’ll have to check out Jura Wine Ten Years On - sounds like essential reading for anyone following how the region has evolved over the past decade! Thanks again for sharing your perspective.
Thanks for your reply and I hope you enjoy the new companion volume, when you get it (also now on Amazon, if easier).
Regarding your confusion about Vin Jaune being on the market in the US, for obvious reasons (I hope), I can't spell this out in great detail. However, if you re-read my original wine-searcher article, you will find out more, buried right in the middle of the article. You can also search wine-searcher for availability of Vin Jaune in the US...
Thank you, I will revisit that to see what I missed. I added your book to my wishlist, unfortunately Amazon shows it's unavailable right now. Will write back when I read it!
Thank you for sharing! I teach WSET Level 3, so update with insights like these are really valuable. I didn’t even know about the Takij story—very interesting!
Thank you Kazumi, glad it will be of help for your classes!
Hello Aleksandar,
I'm glad my piece on wine-searcher resonated with you, especially the quote that was given to me by an importer (anonymously), which you used at the top of this peice. The reality, is that there is already quite a lot of Vin Jaune (a lot, relative to the tiny amount available) sold in the US and only a very few producers (certainly no top producers) have any more to sell, so the change in law is interesting in that it legalised the tiny trade that was already in place.
Contrary to what you wrote further down the piece, Jura has been doing spectacularly well in the US for over 12 years now, especially in the last 8 years (mainly the large number of excellent organic producers, but not only) It's the region Somms love to speak about and share. Until Paris caught up and became interested in the Jura in the past few years, there was more Jura wine available in NYC than in Paris. The biggest problem is not on the US side, it's on Jura's side in that the effects of climate change have brought some drastically reduced vintages (more so than other regions), and so quantity is hard to find. What's more, many producers are no longer looking to sell to the US as they have sufficient customer closer to home.
As for Vin Jaune, it represents just 4 - 5% of what Jura produces/sells worldwide, and that's from a wine region that produces less than 0.2% of France's total wine production.
More details in my two books, Jura Wine (2014) and its companion volume, Jura Wine Ten Years On, published last year, available from Académie du Vin Library.
Thanks for your insights! I really appreciate the deeper context on Jura’s presence in the US market - especially the fact that NYC was ahead of Paris in embracing these wines long before the trend caught fire in France. That’s a fascinating dynamic that speaks volumes about how somm-driven markets shape demand. I just think you misunderstood my statement on Jura - I was referring exclusively to vin jaune, not the region as a whole. Additionally, I’m not really sure what you’re referring to when you mention that vin jaune has been on the US market for a long time since your original article points out that the bottle shape just became legal. Please correct me if I’m wrong, maybe I’m overlooking something here.
Your point about supply being the real issue rather than demand is well taken. Climate change has already had a massive impact on small regions like Jura, and with limited volumes and strong local demand, it makes sense that some producers aren’t looking to expand exports. I suppose the real takeaway here is that while the US regulatory shift is symbolically significant, the actual commercial impact may be marginal - vin jaune’s rarity and production constraints mean it was never going to flood the market anyway.
I’ll have to check out Jura Wine Ten Years On - sounds like essential reading for anyone following how the region has evolved over the past decade! Thanks again for sharing your perspective.
Thanks for your reply and I hope you enjoy the new companion volume, when you get it (also now on Amazon, if easier).
Regarding your confusion about Vin Jaune being on the market in the US, for obvious reasons (I hope), I can't spell this out in great detail. However, if you re-read my original wine-searcher article, you will find out more, buried right in the middle of the article. You can also search wine-searcher for availability of Vin Jaune in the US...
Thank you, I will revisit that to see what I missed. I added your book to my wishlist, unfortunately Amazon shows it's unavailable right now. Will write back when I read it!