Food & Wine Beyond Lyon

Gâteau de l’Écureuil of the Jura

Less than a two-hour drive from Lyon is the Jura, a departement français in Franche Comté and a mountain range that continues into Switzerland and Germany, just north of the Alps. The region’s dramatic cliffs provide a cinematic backdrop for vineyards that produce the region’s famous Vin Jaune (yellow wine). The area is also known for its appellation d’origine contrôlée cheese, Conté. Less famous but more mysterious is a special regional cake that was developed in wartime and shrouded in secrecy until quite recently. (continue)

To the Vineyard: Vin de Pays d’Oc

French wine has a level of quality and variety throughout the country that makes exploring local vineyards a wonderful experience. On a trip to visit friends in Toulouse, we sample and buy Crémant Rosé (a pale pink sparkling wine—not sweet) and a variety of whites at Domaine Collin, a hilltop vineyard not far from Toulouse and the ancient walled city, Carcassonne. (continue)