Because I’m always looking for off-the-beaten track adventures.
Chablis might possibly be French wine country’s best-kept secret. Tucked away next to a sleepy town just south of Paris, most people don’t know that you can get to Chablis from the City of Lights in under two hours, making it a fantastic place for a quick day trip. Champagne gets all the glory when it comes to day trips from Paris, but Chablis is more than deserving, too. Its stunning vineyards, small towns, and warm hospitality make it the perfect subregion to visit – especially if you love their incredible white wines.
Here’s my itinerary for a perfect day in Chablis.
GETTING THERE
One of the reasons that Chablis is not as well-visited as Champagne is that it (very sadly, at the time of writing this) does not have a train station in the central town of Chablis itself. That being said, there are a few options. If you prefer to drive the full way from Paris (or Charles de Gaulle airport if you’re coming directly from the plane), that’s probably the least complicated, but personally I can’t deal with Paris traffic! If you’re anything like me, you can take public transit (the TER train leaves from Paris Bercy – I always recommend you book directly through the SNCF {the French national railway} website or app to ensure you are getting the best price and not being scammed) to Auxerre-Saint-Gervais, or to Troyes, where you can pick up a rental car and drive around easily. Uber exists in France but can be tough to find in the small villages, so I do recommend taking a car or doing a train + car combo.
MY ITINERARY
After arriving at the Auxerre-Saint-Gervais train station around 10:30 a.m., I was met by a representative of the BIVB in Chablis, who graciously offered to drive me around during the day. From there, we went directly to Domaine Brocard for a tour and tasting. A leading organic and biodynamic domaine in Chablis, Domaine Brocard is situated on top of one of Chablis’ most picturesque hills (the photos I’ve added to this post don’t even do it justice!). Domaine Brocard has over 60 hectares of vines and is a family-owned and operated domaine that produces exceptional Chablis across the board: from Petit Chablis to grand crus like Blanchot and beyond. (I reviewed their Petit Chablis in my May Wine Reviews, in case you’re curious) Their modern facilities are housed right next door to an absolutely iconic 16th century church that saved many French Catholics from Huguenot invasions in the 1600s. And while all of that should be more than enough to warrant a visit here, my favorite part of the domaine was underground. Brocard has an additional private tasting room with a real feature wall of untouched, natural Kimmgeridgian terroir. It is a must see and was one of my favorite parts of the day!
After a lovely tour, Julien Brocard was kind enough to drive me back down the hill and into the city of Chablis for lunch, where I enjoyed a light lunch al fresco at the Cité des Climats & Vins – Chablis. It’s a brand new museum and educational space that also houses a small restaurant, offices, and a couple of tasting rooms. The Cité has only been around for a couple of years but it is very well-done. The museum is small but mighty and driven by interactive exhibits, like touchscreen displays, immersive visual films, and my personal favorite: the Aroma Cellar (La Cave des Arômes). It’s an entire subterranean room dedicated to the aromas that you might detect when swirling and sniffing wines from northern Bourgogne, divided into two separate sections for white and red wines. If you’re in the wine world, this idea might not be so ground-breaking, but the Aroma Cellar at the Cité des Climats & Vins in Chablis has a marked difference from many other wine museums in that none of the tasting notes on display use chemical or artificial ingredients. They only use fresh herbs, flowers, and fruits, and change them out daily to maintain the highest quality of scent for every visitor. I spent over a half hour alone in this room breathing in the aromas from everything from Irancy red wines to Chablis premier cru. This is a great place to visit if you are working on improving your olfactory skills!
To close out the afternoon, we embarked on a languorous scenic photo walk of the town of Chablis. The village is quiet, calm, and full of French small-town beauty like antique shops, old churches, traditional bakeries, old stone bridges, and quiet parks by the river Serein. Buildings are covered in flowers, ivy, and wrought iron balustrades. Talk about eye candy! It’s a beautiful village and it’s the perfect end to the day. Take a quick drive down to the Lac de Berein, a man-made lake near the vines, to go in for a dip, fishing, or picnic with a snack on the lakeside in the shade.
You could probably spend a week in Chablis and not get bored, but if you can only spend a day, this itinerary will give you the perfect sampler of all the region can offer. Safe travels!
Disclaimer: my trip to Chablis was partially subsidized by Vins de Chablis and the BIVB. By reading this post, you are supporting the work of French Wine Tutor so that I can bring you even more French wine education and travel guidance. Merci beaucoup !
Looking for more French travel advice? Check out my Travel Guide to the Beaujolais Wine Region or 48 Hours in Champagne. Enjoy, santé !
