Beine
Leaving the village of Chablis in the direction of Auxerre, one finds the village of Beine, which derives its name from the Latin “Baina”, as it had been called in the 10th century. The village was a fiefdom of Maligny between the 12th century and the Revolution.
The first of Beine’s notable landmarks can be seen from the Route d’Auxerre, and is, surprisingly to some, manmade. It is the Lac de Beine or Étang de Beine, an artificial lake created in 1978 to supply water for aspersion in the surrounding vineyards. The Lac de Beine is one of the largest water reserves in Europe used specifically to aid viticulture and is managed by the l’Association Syndicale Autorisée des Vaux Ragon et Vaux de Longue (quite a mouthful!), of which Bernard Michaut of Domaine de la Motte is in charge. In addition to its practical importance, it is a beautiful lake, downslope of the vineyards that comprise the appellation de commercialisation of Beauroy, and is a popular spot for camping in the summer.
After viewing the tranquil Lac de Beine, the visitor makes a right – near the roadside tasting room of one of the village’s well-known producers, Sylvain Mosnier – and enter a maze of idyllic streets. After a few twists and turns, one ascends up a hill, at the height of which is the 12th century Eglise de Nôtre-Dame. From the church’s cemetery, one overlooks the buildings below, nearly every one devoted to wine in some way. Not far from the church, in the lieu-dit Sur-Mattes, remnants of Merovingian sarcophagi have been excavated.
Producers
Domaine de Bieville – see Louis Moreau, Domaine du Cedre Dore – see Louis Moreau, Alain Geoffroy, Bernard Michaut – see Domaine de la Motte, Louis Moreau, Sylvain Mosnier,
Domaine de la Motte, Domaine Pisse-Loup
