Arbois

Arbois is a French commune in the Jura department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. The Cuisance River passes through the town, which has some pretty streets lined with ancient houses. The town centres on an arcaded central square where one can sample the local wines.

The commune has been awarded two flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.

Geography

Arbois is located some 40 km southwest of Besançon and 30 km southeast of Dole. It has a typical Revermont landscape. The plain is mainly used for cropping of cereals on medium-sized plots of land. The lower slopes consist mainly of meadows surrounded by small hedges for dairy farming. There are some vineyards in the same area. The rest of the hills is occupied by small vineyards with a few scattered meadows. The top of the hills and the plateau are heavily forested.

Communication and transport

Access to the commune is by Route nationale N83 which comes from Mouchard in the north and passes through the town before continuing south to Buvilly. The D469 goes west from the village to Mathenay and the D107 goes east to Mesnay. The D14 goes north to Villers-Farlay and the D246 goes south to Pupillin.

Arbois (grape)

Arbois or Arbois Blanc is a white French wine grape variety planted primarily in the Loire regions. Despite being a minor grape, in the late 20th century it was the third most widely planted grape variety in the Loir-et-Cher département which includes the winemaking areas of Cheverny, Cour-Cheverny, Montrichard, Oisly, Saint-Romain-sur-Cher, Valençay as well as vineyards that make wines under the Touraine AOC, Cremant de Loire AOC and Vin de Pays du Loir et Cher. By 2004 acreage had steadily declined to around 750 acres (300 hectares). It is still a permitted grape variety in the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) regions of Cheverny AOC, Valençay AOC and Vouvray AOC.

History

Ampelographers are not completely sure about Arbois' origins though some of the grape's synonyms seem to suggest a relationship with the Pinot family, as does its weak association with the Jura wine region of Arbois AOC (mostly through its similarities in leaf structure with Savagnin). It is most likely that the grape is native to the Loire Valley. Most of the grape's viticultural history is tied in to the historic Touraine region where it is still most prevalent today, particularly in the Loir-et-Cher département. The grape is on the decline in plantings and importance though it is still a permitted grape varieties in several AOCs including being the only grape other than Chenin blanc permitted in Vouvray.

Arbois (disambiguation)

Arbois is a commune in the Jura department in eastern France. It may also refer to: