Learn about Franche-Comté Regional Gastronomy

The French can talk about cheese until the cows come home. If you doubt that, take a tour in the Franche-Comté region with local farmer Jean-Francois Marmier, who goes by the nickname Taz. "We need hours, days, months, years to talk about Comté" cheese, Taz said passionately.

The Jura defies many expectations, nowhere more so than in its wines. The leading whites have a nutty, sherry-like aroma that many people regard as hopelessly oxidized, but they are actually tangy, complex, pure and delicious. The best reds barely have enough color to be called red. They are delicate and graceful, yet with an earthy intensity that can stand up to the smelliest of cheeses. Almost singularly among wine regions, the reds are usually served before the whites in the Jura because they are lighter in texture.

The Jura is rough and rugged country. It's definitely not somewhere you'd expect to find the best restaurant in France.