The Revermont vineyard | Bourg-en-Bresse destinations

Land of the ‘Cavets’

The Revermont

A small mountainous region between the Jura mountains and Bresse Plain. But you’ll be surprised to hear about the history of this little region! That’s right! From Roman times, vines were planted all over these hills. There were so many of them that the locals of the Revermont were even called ‘Cavets’ (cave = wine cellar in French).

Des habitats dédiés à la viticulture

Homes dedicated to winemaking

The Revermont vineyard made its mark on the region. Wander around the villages such as Treffortand Journansand explore a home that has been entirely devoted to this trade. The houses are made from stone and each one has a cellar underneath. There were outdoor steps to reach a room that was unique at the time, as it was used both as a bedroom and kitchen. There was often a second building attached to the main one, used as a barn or stables, with a hay loft above. Winemaking and livestock farming were often combined.

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A trade in the spotlight

It was in fact the region’s overlords, the Dukes of Savoy, who helped this vineyard to develop in the 15th century, by banning Mâcon wines in Bourg-en-Bresse and the surrounding area.

The ‘Cavets’ pretty much had the monopoly so were confident, and began to favour quantity over quality. They produced wine with a low alcohol content, made mostly using ‘gueuche’, the iconic grape variety of the Revermont. Some productions however became rather well known, such as Roissiat white wines.

The disastrous 19th century

Business here began to experience a decline when wines started arriving by train from the south of France. The local wines were no longer suited to the market. Then came phylloxera (insects that feed on grapevines) in 1876, the First World War and urban migration, marking the end of the winegrowing trade here. The ‘Cavets’ were ruined and the great estates closed their doors. That was when the region turned its efforts towards dairy production. Today, Comté is the star product of the Revermont.

A handful of survivors

Once the crises had passed, a handful of winegrowers refused to be beaten and replanted their vines. Today, the wines produced in Ceyzériat, Journans, Gravelles, Saint-Martin-du-Mont, Val-Revermont, Courmangoux, Bohas-Meyriat-Rignat, Druillat et Grand-Corent are sold under the appellation AOC Bugey Wine or the PGI coteaux de l’Ain – Revermont and they have built up a very good reputation.

To get the full experience of this exceptional terroir and hear the fascinating story of this local production that is still going strong, come to the musée du Revermont in Cuisiat to visit the ‘Vignes et Cavets’ exhibition, or even better, go and visit a winegrowing estate. An opportunity to meet the winegrowers and taste their production!

To the meeting ofOur winemakers & producers

Portrait Aurélien Beyeklian