Where in the world is Chablis?

The town of Chablis lies in the Serein River valley in northern Burgundy, 180 km southeast of Paris. To the west is the city of Auxerre, the capital of the Yonne department, and to the east is the market town of Tonnerre, crossed by the Burgundy Canal.

Chablis makes an appearance in the history books in 867 A.D. when the king "Charles the Bold", grandson of Charlemagne, donated lands and buildings to the Abbaye of Saint Martin de Tours (in the Loire region). The town retains its historical heritage with white-stone and red-tiled buildings, fortified towers and the impressive "Porte Noël" gates, mansions, the beautiful collegiate church of Saint-Martin from the 12th century, and a very old hospice, the "Hôtel-Dieu", dating from the same period.

The Serein River flows through Chablis. Originating near the summit of the Burgundy Canal and flowing northwards, it becomes a tributary of the River Yonne near the town of Joigny, and eventually joins the River Seine leading to Paris.

With a population of just over 2000 people, Chablis's main industry is wine production and related activities.

Chablis and the wine

Chablis is an important but also atypical wine-growing area in France. Although part of the Burgundy wine region, it is not located near the famous Burgundian vineyards of the Côtes de Nuits and de Beaune.

In the Chablis wine-growing area, with limestone soil and centuries of tradition, the principal grape is white Chardonnay.

Chablis wines can be divided into 4 qualities.

Petit-Chablis: just over 1200 hectares
Chablis: approximately 3700 hectares
Chablis Premier Cru: approximately 747 hectares
Chablis Grand Cru: 100 hectares (just 250 acres)

The Chablis Grand Cru vineyards are located on the right-hand banks of the Serein River, in front of the town. Using Chardonnay (B) grapes, they produce only 5,300 bottles per year.
Chablis white wines should be served chilled and pair well with white fish, seafood, and salads, and are also perfect on their own as an aperitif.

Chablis Grand Cru

This photo shows one of those bottles from the 2009 millesime.

Other wines in the region

South of Chablis are 1,300 hectares of Auxerrois vineyards, including Irancy and Sauvignon de Saint Bris.

Irancy is made up of 160 hectares of red Pinot Noir and César grape.
Sauvignon de Saint Bris covers 130 hectares and is one of Burgundy's few Sauvignon AOCs. This white wine pairs well with goat cheese or mature Comté.

You will also find other quality wines such as Vézelay, Bourgogne Tonnerre, Bourgogne Epineuil, Bourgogne Chitry, the now-famous bubbly Crémant de Bourgogne (similar to Champagne) and Bourgogne Aligoté.

The Chablis region

The surroundings

The local landscape features gentle rolling hills, vineyards on the slopes, and many historical sites such as the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, the Abbaye of Pontigny, the village of Noyers-sur-Serein, and Auxerre, to name a few.

Miles of excellent cycling routes and walking paths run through the vineyards and countryside. For example, cycling from Tonnerre to Chablis takes just over 1 hour; Auxerre to Chablis is 1 hour 20 minutes.

Which barges cruise nearby?

A range of hotel barges cruise the River Yonne and the northern parts of both the Canal de Nivernais and the Burgundy Canal, including the Luciole, the Art de Vivre, and the Savoir Vivre. Your cruise will almost certainly include private tours and wine tastings. These hotel barges are available for cabin bookings and also private charters.

If you prefer self-drive cruising, you can begin your trip from either Joigny or Migennes and include a trip to the Chablis vineyards. Check the page about the Yonne and Nivernais for more information.

Map showing Chablis in France

Map with Chablis