Trousseau is a blue grape variety native to Jura in eastern France. It is one of the area's characteristic red grapes, which you will find side by side with names like Poulsard and Pinot Noir. Although Jura is a small region, it has a wine culture all its own, and Trousseau is among the grapes that give the wines their particular identity.
Trousseau has relatively thin skins, and that is an important part of the explanation for the grape's style. The wines are typically light to medium-bodied with a relatively pale colour, soft tannin and a delicate structure. These are rarely powerful or heavy wines. Instead, it is the elegance and the light expression that take the lead, and that makes them pleasant companions at the table without taking all the attention.
In Jura, Trousseau appears both as a monovarietal wine and as part of blends, where it can contribute colour and fruit to the red cuvées. The grape can also be used in rosé wines. If you are fond of light, finely structured red wines with personality rather than muscle, Trousseau is worth getting to know.
Trousseau is also grown outside France. In Portugal, including in Douro, the grape is known under the name Bastardo, where it is used in the country's traditional wine styles. It is worth remembering, however, that the name Bastardo in other contexts can refer to entirely different grapes, so the two names are not readily interchangeable across countries.
For the wine-curious, Trousseau is a good way in to understanding Jura and the lighter, more transparent red styles that are gaining ground with many who are looking for something other than the big, full-bodied reds. It is a grape that rewards curiosity, and that suits a quiet evening well.