Opening the Gates to the World of Chablis Wines
Chablis, A Legacy of Terroir and Tradition
Vine cultivation in the region dates back to the 2nd century, with the Romans being the first to establish vineyards here. Subsequently, the monastic orders of the Catholic Church assumed control of viticulture. The Cistercian Abbey of Pontigny, famed for introducing the Chardonnay grape, was particularly influential in this regard. At its peak, the vineyard surrounding the town of Auxerre spanned 40,000 hectares, making it the largest in France. However, challenges such as difficulties in wine sales and the devastation caused by phylloxera led to a shift towards alternative agricultural products. Additionally, the region’s vulnerability to hail and frost, which persists until May, resulted in the destruction of entire harvests on numerous occasions. These combined factors contributed to a significant reduction in vineyard acreage, leaving only 500 hectares by the mid-1950s.
From the early 1960s onward, various measures were implemented to mitigate the risk of frost. The installation of oil furnaces along the rows of vines allowed for the distribution of heat across the vineyard using windmills. Furthermore, the vines were sprayed with water, creating a protective layer of ice around the young shoots. Today, the Chablis region and 19 surrounding communes collectively have approximately 4,500 hectares of vineyards.
Concierge Led for a Seamless Experience
All our wine tours in France are private and tailor-made. As we offer day trips, we also take care of your stay by recommending charming places to stay while you are in the region. We know the region's restaurants for all tastes, museums, historical guides and places of interest. Calm, precise, unique.
Three Paths to Discovery
Chablis, Mézilles, Yonne
The aim of this day is to provide an introduction to Chablis’s vineyards, covering all their different facets.
To understand the Chablis vineyards, we need to look at the 4 levels of appellations: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Chablis Grand Cru. All are made from Chardonnay grapes, but on different terroirs, which gives the wines different complexities. When you delve deeper into the specific characteristics of the region, you’ll also find Sauvignon Blanc in the Village de Saint-Bris and red wines made from Pinot Noir.
We always bring old vintages (from the 1960s to the present day) so that you too can understand how these wines have evolved over time.
In all, 3 meetings with wineries and around 20 wines will be tasted during the day from different types of wineries, ranging from the small vigneron to the large, internationally renowned winery, and finally the natural/biodynamic approach.
We’ll discuss your choice of lunch together to find out what suits you best between different restaurants, lunch with the winemaker or a picnic with a focus on certain prestigious wines.
Departure can be from Paris, Chablis, Beaune or elsewhere. This is to be discussed together and a stay of several days is possible. Overall, you can expect a leisurely day lasting around 8 hours, during which we take the time to enjoy life in the company of good people and good wines.
Chablis, Journey from the 60s
The aim of this day is to please old wine lovers - we know they exist because we do too!
The day is more or less similar to the past offer, except that lunch will be in a 19th-century manor house privatized for the occasion.
During this moment, we’ll take the time to explore the decades of wines from the 1960s to the present day in the Chablis wine region, with an 6-Chablis selection of old vintages. Lunch will be simple, with local seasonal produce typical of Alsatian gastronomy.
We recommend this offer for groups of 4 travelers or more.
Chablis, Close to nature
We like lively wines, and so do you.
This is a day for fans of natural wines and biodynamic wines, close to the land, free and inventive winemaking styles with flavors that are always disruptive.
A day to direct meeting of 3 winemakers according to different winemaking techniques such as bio or biodynamics.
Visits to small wineries with immersions in the vines and explanations of non-interventionist viticulture, visits of the wineries with explanations of sulphury-free vinification, barrel tastings.
In all, around 20 wines will be tasted during the day.
We’ll discuss your choice of lunch together to find out what suits you best between different restaurants, lunch with the winemaker or a picnic with a focus on certain prestigious wines.
Departure can be from Paris, Chablis, Beaune or elsewhere. This is to be discussed together and a stay of several days is possible. Overall, you can expect a leisurely day lasting around 8 hours, during which we take the time to enjoy life in the company of good people and good wines.
Your Day, Curated
Start of the day at the airport or your hotel
Departure for the wine region
Morning wine tastings
Lunchtime
Afternoon tasting
Discover another wine region or return to your hotel
Days last between 8 and 11 hours
Around twenty wines tasted during the day
Accompanied by a French wine enthusiast
Professional driver and electric car
A Seamless Voyage Through the Wolrd’s Most Celebrated Wine Regions
Meet the Makers
Lovers of wine, art, travel and gastronomy, always on the move in France and around the world to learn from the differences.
We all met during our studies, in European wine society. We all have different interests, but wine and its precise tasting conditions are what brought us together.
We share these moments of life all year round and spend around twenty days a year in the Sancerre region to magnify this region's art of living.
