Bugey wine

Bugey wine is produced in the Bugey region in the Ain département of France, under the two VDQS designations Bugey and Roussette du Bugey. On May 28, 2009, INAO gave its final approval for the elevation of Bugey and Roussette du Bugey to Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status.

A high proportion of Bugey wine is white, but white, rosé, red and sparkling wines are all produced in Bugey. Bugey wine made from the aromatic white variety Altesse, locally called Roussette, are among the more noted from the area.

Vineyards of the two Bugey appellations cover around 500 hectares (1,200 acres) spread over 67 communes in the department of Ain.

Allowed designations

Under the present VDQS regulations, Bugey may carry the following designations:

Bugey

The Bugey (Arpitan: Bugê) is a historical region in the department of Ain in eastern France between Lyon and Geneva. It is located in a loop of the Rhône River in the southeast of the department. It includes the foothills of the Jura mountains, and the highest point is the Grand Colombier. Bugey is divided into two sub-regions: Haut Bugey and Bas Bugey. The inhabitants of Bugey are known as Bugistes or alternatively as Bugeysiens.

History

The Bugey was a fief of the Holy Roman Empire. When Emperor Henry IV received the much-needed support of Adelaide of Susa, marchesa of Turin, when he came to Italy to submit to Pope Gregory VII and Matilda of Tuscany at Canossa, in return for her permission to travel through her lands, Henry gave Bugey to Adelaide. Henceforth it belonged to the House of Savoy until 1601, when it was ceded to France by the Treaty of Lyon.

Geography

Bugey is delimited by the Rhone in the south and east and by the Ain in the west. The northern boundary of Bugey is disputed. In 1867 Baron Achille Raverat declared the Valserine to be the northern border of Bugey, but contemporary definitions generally include the entire Ain department as part of Bugey. The region of Revermont has never been considered part of Bugey.