Where are we?

Chablis is in Northern Burgundy in the department of Yonne at a latitude of 47 degrees north. It is 2 hours drive from Paris and 90 minutes from Dijon.

History

The history of Chalis reads very much like the history of France. The are was settled by Gallo-Roman rural settlements however the first written records go back to 867 AD. While vineyards were established prior it was the arrival in 854 of monks, who took refuge in the Abbey of Saint German d’Auxerre that saw the establishment of a wine industry.

In the Middle Ages wine was exported to England and the region prospored, then the area fell on hard times. Further effects to the wine industry were from all the vines were destroyed by phylloxera in the 19th Century and the ravages of WW1. To add to misfortunes the the bombardment of 15 June 1940 destroyed the historic centre of Chablis. 1949 marked the renaissance of the town and its vineyards. However it was not the 1960’s that frost protection resulted in the growth and expansion to the industry that we know today.

The Town

The rebuilt town still has an old-world charm but with a degree of modern connivance. Half-timbered buildings house a range of local and tourist shops.

The town is enjoyable to spend time in shopping and eating plus there are a number of wine shops that carry a good range of local wine.