Bourgogne tourisme

Low relief found in Escolives-Sainte-Camille © JC Liger
Yonne
In the mood for local gastronomy and wines
In case you had doubt, Chablis is in Yonne ! It won’t be long
before you can associate a handful of typical, unpretentious
and well-priced Burgundy wines with the best-known white
wines in the world.
As a classified notable taste site, Chablis is seen as the golden
gate of the Burgundy region, primarily because its vineyards produce
world famous white wines that have been recognized since the
early Middle Ages.
Around the town of Chablis, on approximately 5000 ha of vineyards
(divided between 20 districts or communes), the Chardonnay
grape reigns supreme. This variety is used in all the top white
Burgundy wines and produces a dry wine with a golden green
colour and a refined, mineral bouquet. Chablis is the perfect
accompaniment for cured meats, fish, poultry and cheese.
The oldest traces of wine growing in the Auxerre
region can be referenced to a low-relief carving
of a bunch of grapes, dating from the 2 nd Century,
which was uncovered at an archaeological dig
at Escolives-Sainte-Camille. Vineyards were
planted extensively in the Yonne area because of the waterways which facilitated
the transport of wines to Paris. Before the phylloxera crisis which ravaged almost
all of France's vineyards at the end of the 19 th Century, the Yonne area was the
largest wine growing region in France with 40,000 ha of vines. Today, one tenth
of the surface area comes under the appellation controlée system with approximately
6 200 ha for the Yonne area as a whole.
In February 2012, Chablis became the fourth wine
growing area in Burgundy to display this national label
and thus raise the status of "wine tourism" in the town
and surrounding area. More than 40 service providers,
whether winegrowers, hoteliers, restaurant owners, historic sites,
tourist offices or leisure providers now display the label’s
"famous" green vine leaf. Representing values such as the art of
living and the exchange of specialist information, this distinction
gives the vineyards of Chablis a major competitive edge.
The vineyards are classified vertically
with 4 levels of “cru” :
Chablis and its vineyards © S. Wahl
. On the right bank of the river Serein, the 7 Chablis Grands Crus
set up: Grenouilles, Vaudesir, Les Clos, Les Preuses, Bougros, Blanchot and
Valmur. The Premier Cru vineyards are divided between the right bank and the
left bank of the river.
No other French wine region has affirmed its faith in geology to the extent it has here. The specific attributes
of Chablis wines owe much to the soil the vines are planted on. The chalky layer, known as Kimmeridgian,
was formed almost 150 million years ago and is identifiable by the presence of tiny fossilized shellfish. The
spirit of Chablis wines is also very much forged by a climate of warm summers and crisp winters.
5 signposted circuits for exploring the vineyards of the Yonne, through 60 different
municipalities, such as Chablis, Auxerre, Tonnerre, Joigny and Vezelay.
The L’Yonne à Pied ® topo guide has details of 11 themed walks exploring the
wine growing regions of the Yonne department.
Protecting vines with aspersion irrigation © J. Kélagopian
Saint-Vincent Tournante of the Grand Auxerrois : an every two years wine
festival in one of the wine villages of the Grand Auxerrois
Saint-Vincent Tournante of the Chablisien: a wine festival which takes
place every year, on the 1 st weekend in February
Fleurs de Vigne in Auxerre and discovery of the Yonne wine route tour,
every 2 years in May (next event in May 2014)
Vitirando, hiking in a vineyard, every 2 years in May (next event 2013)
Chablis wine festival in October
Piliers Chablisiens confraternity © S. Wahl
The grape harvest, the paulée
(end of harvest meal), pruning
(December), frost control
using heaters and water
sprinklers (April and May).
Out of ordinary -
My favourites
1 - 2, quai de la République - BP 30217 - 89003 Auxerre Cedex
Tél. 03 86 72 92 03 - Fax 03 86 72 92 09
presse@tourisme-yonne.com - www.tourisme-yonne.com/pro