As a geographical crossroads between the Savoie, the Jura, Burgundy, and the Rhône, Bugey is one of the few regions where one can see both palm trees and snow within eyeshot. In La Cueille, Patrick and Catherine Bottex farm the limestone slopes above the Ain River. They have been working five hectares of land since 1991 and produce only a small quantity of their beautiful, intriguing sparkling wine. The resulting wine is delightfully refreshing with bright fruit, a beautiful rosé hue, and a touch of sweetness. Kermit had never heard of Bugey until Marcel Lapierre uncorked a beauty at one of his after-tasting parties. His best memory of drinking it, however, was from an ice chest at a hamburger barbecue on a beach in Hawaii.