Passerillage (straw wine)

Passerillage is a process of drying grapes after harvest in order to concentrate their sugars before fermentation. The clusters are laid on straw mats or hung in a dry, well-ventilated space for several months, losing much of their water content. It produces sweet dessert wines, known as vin de paille, rich in residual sugar with aromas of candied fruit, honey and spice, traditional in the Jura and at Hermitage.