The St Martin's feast in Ajoie: one wine per dish
Bouillon, black pudding, atriaux, roast, sauerkraut: this huge Jura pork meal deserves six Swiss bottles, picked course after course by Tasters.
In mid-November, Ajoie brings out the long tables. The St Martin's menu lines up course after course around the pig, and one question comes fast: which wine should you pour, from the bouillon to the sauerkraut? Online, you mostly find the list of dishes, hardly ever a pairing for each one. Here, we found a Swiss wine for each stage, and all of these bottles are in stock.
The St Martin's menu in Ajoie at a glance
According to Jura Tourisme, St Martin is a feast of peasant origin held every year in mid-November in Ajoie, in the canton of Jura. The Juranet portal (in French) lists the traditional sequence:
- bouillon with a slice of pot-au-feu and small vegetables;
- gelée, a cold dish of meat in aspic;
- boudin (black pudding), with a red root vegetable salad and apple compote;
- grillade, atriaux and roast, with rösti and a cooked carrot salad;
- the «coup du milieu», a small glass of damassine right before the sauerkraut;
- choucroute garnie (sauerkraut platter);
- crème brûlée and totché, a Jura cream tart, to close the meal.
The order varies from one source to another. On the menu published by GastroJura (in French), the boiled meat («bouilli») gets its own course and the roast follows the sauerkraut. At home, the sequence doesn't matter: each plate keeps its bottle.
Bouillon: a Gamay from Valais to kick things off
White wine sounds logical with a bouillon. But the slice of pot-au-feu changes the game: it calls for a supple red, discreet next to the vegetables.
Promesse de Convivialité 2022, from Cave des Promesses in Conthey, is a Gamay from Valais at 12.5%. Its fresh, supple texture, red fruit and slightly wilder notes follow the meat without drowning the broth.
Want to go further? Check our pairings for pot-au-feu: a cousin of the St Martin's bouillon, not the same dish.
Suisse • Valais • Valais AOC
Gamay
1 bottle of 75 cl
Gelée de ménage: Le Poète, a Pinot Noir from Lavaux
The gelée is meat set in aspic, served cold. It needs a light red with fine tannins that won't mask its flavour.
Le Poète 2024, from Cave Champ de Clos in Chexbres, ticks all the boxes. This Lavaux Pinot Noir at 12.5% blends fresh red fruit with floral notes and a silky texture. Serve it between 14 and 16°C. Great value for the pleasure it gives.
No homemade gelée at hand? A terrine is a nice alternative to make yourself. For the bottle, see our selection for terrine and pâté or, in hunting season, for game terrine.
Suisse • Vaud • Lavaux AOC
Pinot Noir
1 bottle of 70 cl
Cream black pudding: a Pinot Noir from Neuchâtel
According to Juranet, the boudin remains the main dish of the meal. It comes with a red root vegetable salad and apple compote: fat, sweetness and a touch of acidity. Go for an elegant red rather than a powerful bottle.
The Pinot Noir Sélection Tradition 2025 from Caves du Château d'Auvernier (13.5%) opens on red fruit and a hint of toasted hazelnut. On the palate, finesse leads, with a depth that shows without ever feeling heavy.
Variations and other wines: head to black pudding.
Suisse • Neuchâtel • Neuchâtel AOC
Pinot Noir
1 bottle of 75 cl
Atriaux: the Geneva Pinot Noir from Beauvent
Atriaux are flat liver patties wrapped in pork caul. Recipes vary, and some Jura versions add leek, notes the Patrimoine culinaire suisse (in French). Liver dislikes harsh tannins: aim for a fruit-driven Pinot.
The Pinot Noir 1er Cru Tradition 2025 from Domaine de Beauvent grows in Bernex, in the Geneva countryside, on clay and molasse. Raspberry, cherry and a touch of violet: the fruit shows up first, then fine tannins. In Geneva, «1er Cru» refers to the plot; «Tradition» is the estate's classic cuvée.
More details in our selection for atriaux.
Bio
Suisse • Genève • Genève AOC
Pinot Noir
1 bottle of 75 cl
Grillade and roast: Polisson from La Colombe
On the same plate as the atriaux, the grillade and the roast call for a round wine with a bit of structure for the meat.
Polisson, from Domaine La Colombe in Féchy, blends Pinot Noir, Divico and Garanoir. The last two bring backbone, the Pinot Noir brings elegance. Red fruit, subtle spice and a generous palate: its wine sheet recommends it with a roast or grilled meats. And it stays really affordable.
More ideas around pork roast.
Suisse • Vaud • Vaud AOC
Pinot Noir, Divico, Garanoir
1 bottle of 75 cl
The «coup du milieu» with damassine
Before the sauerkraut, tradition calls for a break: the «coup du milieu». Juranet describes it as a small glass of damassine drunk in the middle of the meal «to make a little room». Jura Tourisme also lists a damassine sorbet. No wine at this point: the brandy does the job.
Sauerkraut platter: a Sauvignon Blanc from Valais
The choucroute garnie arrives with ham, fresh pork, bacon and smoked saucisse d'Ajoie, plus potatoes cooked on the cabbage. Lots of fat and smoke: here, a taut white beats any red.
The Sauvignon Blanc 2025 from Thierry Constantin, in Pont-de-la-Morge, starts lively on blackcurrant bud and lime. Then it rounds out, keeps its freshness and finishes on lemon. That acidity cuts through the fat of the charcuterie. Serve it at 8 to 10°C.
Other options: our wines for the sauerkraut platter.
Suisse • Valais • Valais AOC
Sauvignon Blanc
1 bottle of 75 cl
Crème brûlée and totché to finish
The meal ends with crème brûlée and totché, the Jura cream tart. No wine suggested here: just enjoy the end of the feast.
Six bottles to make it to the totché
A quick recap of our St Martin's menu in Ajoie:
- bouillon: the Valais Gamay from Cave des Promesses;
- gelée or homemade terrine: Le Poète, from Lavaux;
- boudin: the Pinot Noir from Château d'Auvernier;
- atriaux: the Pinot Noir from Beauvent;
- grillade and roast: Polisson;
- sauerkraut: the Sauvignon Blanc from Thierry Constantin.
Six Swiss wines, six courses, and no obligation to clear every plate. The only pairing we can't guarantee is the one between your belt and the sauerkraut.
And after the feast? With the Tasters Explorer subscription, you get 2 or 3 wines per delivery around a theme, picked by our sommeliers, with guides and quizzes so you learn as you taste. No commitment: you stop whenever you want.
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