What to do

Winemaking in the Jura is still practised on a human scale, with small, mainly organic vineyards run by enthusiastic young vignerons who welcome anyone passing by to taste their very distinctive wines. Create your own wine route through the bucolic villages from Arbois down to Revermont, but be sure to visit Château-Chalon, precariously perched on a clifftop, and Arlay, with its imposing chateau. It’s worth planning a trip at the end of January when these villages take it in turns to host La Percée du Vin Jaune, a riotous festival celebrated by 35,000 people to unveil the new vintage of straw-yellow local tipple