Chablis- Chabliss!

By -


                       "Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy" - 

                                                            Benjamin Franklin  

    

Now before you say anything,  I know that Chablis is not in Normandy and you know how much I love Normandy, but an offer of a 3-day trip to another region cannot be refused especially when it has wall-to-wall vineyards.

Travelling around France

France is the most visited country in the world, so accessibility is key. The autoroutes are normally quiet and a journey always takes the time that it tells you on the Sat Nav. There are exceptions to this of course - friends were stuck on a motorway in the South-West for 8 hours last year due to flash flooding. They knew things were bad when the emergency services went past with inflatable boats.

Anyway, back to Chablissss. 

What's Chablis (the place) like? 

Shortlisted for the prettiest place in France title, it lies in the valley of the River Serein. The view as you arrive is stunning, with the slopes on either side covered in vineyards that produce this famous wine. The town itself has many medieval buildings and an abundance of Chablis producers (and judging by their houses, business is pretty good!).                                        

You can just walk around town or drive around and stop off at the vineyards. The producers are very welcoming and just seem to pop up like Mr Bean as you pull in. They are passionate about their wines and are keen for you to try them.

Lots of sampling took place, lots of purchasing took place, the icing on the cake was a trip to Beaune and we even managed a tasting session at Devaux Champagne (thoroughly recommended).



                   That's just the wine list from our Hotel



Facts about Chablis.

Chablis is made from 100% Chardonnay  grapes 

You can keep Chablis for 5/6 years - fat chance in my house...

Some people use it in cocktails and sauces -  no comment!

Chablis is very versatile, it goes well with most fish and white meats. It also goes well with Mondays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays- you get my drift!

If you don't like wine too oaky this is for you, as it's stored in stainless steel tanks 

A single, small slope, facing southwest and located just north of the town is responsible for the Grands Crus- the best vineyards in the area.

Chablis is mentioned in the 19th-century Russian novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - I started it once and gave up. I would need to drink a lot of Chablis to get through its 800 pages. 

 


Mild weather earlier in the year followed by a spring frost caused huge problems this year with many wine producers resorting to burners, cold water and even candles to protect the new shoots. The producers are blaming climate change so I suggest you drink as much of it as you can now in case it disappears.

Take a van you will need it!


 

                  "You're gonna need a bigger boot!"





 


Useful links 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

By -
Image
Don’t mind if I do!     What’s bugging me this month   J'en ai mar! Great french expression which means that you've had enough/fed up! And the reason I feel like this is because we are still without internet- 2 months now!   In desperation (and the fact that I am trying to work and I can’t keep going to McDonalds) we have invested in Starlink which was very simple to install and is very quick. It is ideal if you are like us and live in a rural area, plus I cannot get Orange to put in fibre optic even though I have begged them -I literally got down on my knees in the local store.   Talking of Mc Donalds, I have be visiting our local one to access their free Wi-Fi and of course I buy a coffee (can’t really sit there all day if I don’t). They open at 10.00 and silly me thinking I could get a coffee then, they told me that they would not be ready to serve till 10.30! but at least they bring it to your table on a nice tray - in the UK it’s just chucked ...
Read more

Is it a type of shoe?

By -
Image
                          Who puts a middle-aged woman in acrylic when it’s 36 degrees!   I spent 7 days working as a volunteer in Paris for the Olympics. I was a driver for the fleet of cars that were taking officials and guests around Paris. I visited Versailles, The Olympic Village, Roland Garros, the Aquatic Centre, plus lots of hotels and train stations but I didn’t get to see inside of any of them as I was just dropping and picking people up. We were based at one of the Hippodromes to the West of Paris and in the middle was a rugby pitch and a football pitch which were full of cars.  Paris had a target to cut emission by 50% on the London 2012 Olympics, so all the cars were either electric hybrids or hydrogen. I was reluctant to use the aircon in case I had to recharge the car (should have payed more attention in the training). My only gripe was the complete lack of toilets for the volunteer...
Read more
By -
Image
  What has been going on in Normandy? Our friends were married recently at a local Mairie. The service was lovely and the Maire was delighted as not only was it the first wedding he had performed that year but the first one ever for a British couple -don't worry Monsieur le maire there will be more coming!! We then had three days at a stunning local chateau, where we were provided with copious amounts of food and drink, a falconry demonstration and a helicopter flight (just the bride and best man- it couldn't take all of us) a good time was had by all.  It seems that I go to more funerals than weddings these days, so I was delighted to be invited to be one of my friend’s bridesmaids and to wear a very posh dress.  Scallops anyone? Last weekend we visited Port en Bessin- Huppain for the scallop (Coquille St-Jacques) festival. The scallop season runs from October to May and we took a boat trip where a retired fisherman told us all about it. They  are subjected to ...
Read more