Vin de Pays de Franche-Comte is the Vin de Pays (VDP) title given to certain wines from the Doubs, Haute-Saone and Jura departments of north-eastern France. Together, these three departments make up the Franche-Comte administrative region – whence the name. Wines specifically from the village of Champlitte, at the very western edge of the region, may also claim the title Coteaux de Champlitte.
Given that they come from vineyards actually within Jura – and others only 30miles (48km) from the Cote de Nuits – it is not surprising that Vin de Pays de Franche-Comte wines are made predominantly from the Burgundy varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Gris and Aligote, as well as the Jura varieties Poulsard, Trousseau and Savagnin. Since the review of the VDP laws in 2000, the wines may be varietals and are labeled as such. The only restrictions are that the vineyards from which they come are planted exclusively with the stated variety, and that each variety is vinified separately. The grapes listed above all qualify for use in this way.
The climate of Franche-Comte is continental and is affected by the sub-alpine topography of the Jura Mountains to the south and the Vosges Mountains of Alsace to the north.
In 2009, the Vin de Pays (VDP) title that had been in force since the 1970s was supplemented with Indication Geographique Protegee (IGP) – its EU equivalent. French wine authorities have actively promoted the use of IGP, which acts as a legal statement of quality and origin throughout the eurozone. Wine producers retain the right to use either title.
