The Wines of Chablis A Comprehensive Guide to the World's Most Famous White Wine

The Burgundy wine region begins in the Yonne Valley, roughly midway between Paris and Dijon. It is more widely known as Chablis, a bit of a misnomer as Chablis is only one of its five primary vineyard areas, the others centering on the villages of Auxerre, Tonnerre, Joigny and Vezelay. The dry white wine of Chablis is made from the chardonnay grape and produces wines from all four major appellation levels: regional (Bourgogne Blanc, Petit Chablis), communal or Villages (Chablis A.O.C.), premier cru (82 premier cru vineyards in all) and grand cru (a total of seven). However, the Yonne Valley as a whole produces a greater diversity of wine than is found in Chablis alone. There is sparkling wine, Cremant de Bourgogne, produced throughout the vineyards of the Yonne. While the wines of Chablis permit only chardonnay, elsewhere aligote is common, and there is sauvignon blanc in the village of Saint-Bris as well. Unknown to most, there is also quite a bit of red wine (and rose) from pinot noir produced in Coulanges-les-Vineuse, Chitry, Epineuil and Irancy.

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