Domaine de la Bélière is located in the tiny village of Bohas, a 40-minute drive from the city of Bourg-en-Bresse, famous for its "Bresse" chicken. It is halfway between Lyon and Geneva in the foothills of the Jura.
Domaine de la Bélière farms 3 hectares (7 acres) of vines that spread over 3 communes - Mérignat, Saint Martin-Du-Mont and Bohas-Meyriat-Rignat. The vineyard is planted to Gamay and Poulsard, the two typical grape varieties for the production of Cerdon. The vines are mainly cultivated under natural grass control to avoid erosion and limit the use of herbicides. The Domaine de la Bélière farms with sustainable methods.
Winemaker Celine Ronger is the 2nd generation of the family to produce wine from Bugey. She followed her father's footsteps and was joined by her brother Gael in 2016.
The region is located on the lower slopes of the Jura mountains, where the soil is composed is calcareous or siliceous clay. Because of the topography, the vineyard is divided into 10 small parcels where 80 wine producers make Bugey wines. Production includes traditional red, rosé, white, sparkling wines or marc brandy. The Bugey Cerdon area is very small, covering only 150 hectares of vines. Wines from Bugey Cerdon are not A.O.C. wines, but V.D.Q.S. (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure).
