It is in the heart of Cramant, a Grand Cru village located in the famous « Côte des Blancs », that the Bonnaire house elaborate its wines since 1932. Following the 1930's crisis, Fernand Bouquemont - the founder of the house - decided to stop selling its grapes to negoce houses and to start making its own champagnes. It was immediately a success and its first «cuvée» was awarded a gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris.

When the Second World War came to an end, Fernand was soon joined by his son-in-law, André Bonnaire, coming also from a family of winemakers since several generations. He put all his effort and care to the wine growing and development of the vineyard. Then, in the late sixties, his son Jean-Louis joined the company too after graduating at the wine school in Avize.

Today, with a vineyard of more than 22 hectares, mainly growing chardonnay grapes in the best « crus » of Champagne, the adventure continues. After a fresh impetus in the early seventies in developing and modernizing the plant and contributing to the notoriety of the champagnes Bonnaire, Jean-Louis Bonnaire, present director, still watch over the success of the company with the same passion than when he started forty years ago. Today, a new generation already came in to support him in its venture, his two sons Jean-Etienne in charge of the production and Jean-Emmanuel in charge of marketing the wines. Rendez-vous is fixed in 2032 to celebrate Champagne Bonnaire's centenary!

All along the seasons, work in the field demands a lot of energy from the different winemakers of the Bonnaire house. Knowing every inch of his parcels, Jean-Louis Bonnaire runs carefully the different interventions in the vineyard. Before the harvest, he watches over the good ripeness and the natural acidity of the grapes which, combined in a proper balance, guarantee the good aging of the wines.

The «Bonnaire style» starts during the harvest. It is a crucial step. It consists in protecting the unity of the grapes by a soft and split press.

If Champagne Bonnaire is a well-known house of the «Côte des Blancs», it's mainly because of the talent of Jean-Louis Bonnaire to vinify, to blend and to anticipate the evolution of the wines once put on lees. It demands a great combinaison of experience and proficiency that he now shares with its two sons and offers to its customers.