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90 Years of the “Arbois” AOP: An Industry Firmly Focused on the Future
To mark the 90th anniversary of the “Arbois” AOP, celebrated on Saturday, July 18, 2026, a conference on “The AOC: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” was held, featuring numerous representatives from the wine industry. A look back at the discussions.
The “Arbois” AOP is 90 years old. This Jura appellation is one of the first six French appellations d’origine contrôlées. As part of a festive event, a symposium allowed industry professionals to revisit the fundamentals of protected designations of origin, the relevance of the system and collective efforts to ensure their sustainability, and the identity of the Jura terroir. Speakers included stakeholders from the local wine industry as well as representatives from other French appellations, researchers, and representatives from the INAO:
- Olivier Jacquet, a researcher at the University of Burgundy (UNESCO Chair: Wine Cultures and Traditions), presented the history of appellations, their governance, and technical contributions, in relation to the history of the INAO.
- Florien Kleine Snuverink, a winemaker in Arbois, shared her perspective on the importance of the historical development of the “Arbois” AOP and her own involvement in the process.
- Philippe Brisebarre, Chairman of the INAO’s Permanent Council and a winegrower in “Vouvray” AOP, discussed the establishment of the INAO, the reform of the certification process launched in 2010, and the ongoing debates within the ODGs to define strategies ensuring the sustainability of wine AOPs.
- Christian Paly, President of the INAO’s National Committee for Designations of Origin for Wines, Alcoholic Beverages, and Spirits, and a winegrower in "Tavel" AOP, presented the new tools offered by the INAO to industry professionals to address climate challenges and new societal expectations, notably the innovation assessment program, and the varieties of interest for adaptation.
- Sébastien Fillon, President of the “Terrasses du Larzac” AOP, presented the history of this “young” AOP and shared his experience regarding the importance of collective effort in fostering internal momentum.
The lively discussions highlighted the professionals’ deep commitment to the AOP system, which remains essential for fostering innovation, ensuring the sustainability of wine production, and providing producers with a degree of freedom within a consensus-based framework that guarantees the product’s link to its origin.
The winemakers offered tastings of their wines to the residents of Arbois and the tourists in attendance, who were thus able to discover this heritage product, which contributes to the identity of the Jura region.
The “Arbois” AOP, a thousand-year-old symbol of the Jura wine region
Arbois AOP wines come in white, red, or rosé varieties. They are also produced as “vin jaune” or “vin de paille.” There is abundant evidence of a renowned vineyard in Arbois dating back to the year 1000. In the Jura wine region, Arbois has distinguished itself through the strong commitment of its winemakers to preserving the distinctive character of their wines, based on indigenous grape varieties such as Savagnin and Poulsard. It was also in Arbois that France’s first wine cooperative was founded in 1906. The designation granted on May 15, 1936, was intended to protect specific practices such as the aging of vin jaune under a veil. The vineyards extend around the town of Arbois, on the marly soils typical of the Revermont region.