Franche-Comté is the regional PGI title covering both still and Sparkling wines from a large mountainous region in eastern France. The region is made up of the departments of Haute-Saône, Doubs and Jura, the latter of which is home to the Jura wine region and many appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOC) such as Arbois. The PGI offers more freedom to the region's winemakers, both geographically and in terms of winemaking. The Franche-Comté region - one of France's 27 official regions - borders Switzerland.
The wine region of AlsaceLies to the North, while the vineyards of Savoy occupy the Alps to the South. Burgundy lies to the west and has had a significant impact on the style of wines produced here: mainly from Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chardonnay, as well as the Swiss grape Poulsard. The terrain in Franche-Comté is dominated by the Jura Mountains which separate France and Switzerland. These mountains are formed of Jurassic limestone, which has given rise to the clay-limestone soils found throughout the region.
