Macvin du Jura is a sweet liqueur wine from the French Jura. An ancient specialty of the region. It is made by mixing grape distillate (Marc) with grape juice (must). That sounds simple. But in practice it is quite an art to make a really good Macvin. There are also big differences.
Macvin was made in the Jura at least as early as the fourteenth century and possibly much longer. It was only in 1991 that it was given the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status. Because it is not made from fermented grape juice, it is not officially wine. But that does not make it any less pleasant to drink, and that is happening more and more. Sommeliers have mainly discovered Macvin as an accompaniment to a cheese platter.
Macvin has the DOC status and therefore there are a number of rules that the producers of Macvin must adhere to. First of all, both the alcohol distillate and the must must come from the same producer. So it is (only) winegrowers in the Jura who make Macvin. But not all winemakers in the Jura do it.
The alcohol distillate for Macvin must be made from grapes. Such a distillate is usually called Marc in France and that Marc must be matured in oak barrels. For the grape must (the unfermented juice), winegrowers may use the usual grapes from the region, such as Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Pinot Noir and Trousseau. A Macvin can therefore be white, rosé or red, depending on the grapes used.
The Marc has an alcohol percentage of over 50% and the Macvin should have an alcohol percentage of 16% to 22%. In practice, the Macvin contains approximately one part Marc and two parts grape juice. The unfermented grape juice is sweet and therefore the Macvin is too. There must be at least 153 grams of residual sugar per litre. Finally, the Macvin itself must mature for a year in oak barrels before it can be bottled and sold.
Despite these regulations, Macvins du Jura can vary considerably. Every winemaker still manages to give it his own twist. The trick is to ensure that the alcohol is well integrated into the juice so that an elegant liqueur wine is created.
We currently have two Macvin wines in our range. You can view our Macvin wines here.
Orange wine (29) 
Fresh (92) 
Light (35) 
Rosé (14) 
Aromatic (20) 
Medium (101) 
Sparkling (28) 
Ripe (72) 
Full-bodied (100) 
