When most people think of Burgundy, they think of Dijon or Beaune, the so-called Cote d'Or farther south, home of the heartier red wines, Dijon mustard and boeuf bourguignon.
But my wife, son, and I chose Chablis as our base in part because of its proximity to many places -- Champagne and the Loire Valley are nearby -- and in part because of our preference for white wines. We had found the Manoir des Roches on the Internet, a newly opened ''chambres d'hôte" (rooms in a private residence offered as guest rooms) owned by an expatriate English couple, Jan and Steve Earley.
In the States, Chablis is often a term for a generic and ordinary white wine, but in France, Chablis is a narrowly defined appellation, ranging from delicate ''petit Chablis" to the more robust grades ''premier cru," and ''grand cru." The soil around Chablis is primarily a kind of Jurassic period limestone called Kimmeridgian, after the place in England where it was first identified. The chalky, well-drained soil and abundant sunshine are what give the wine made from Chardonnay grapes its clear, crisp finish and subtle flavors.
The whole area devoted to Chablis vineyards is some 16,000 acres, of which only 450 are suitable to produce grand cru. Of the total production of 6 million gallons of all grades, less than 125,000 gallons are grand cru. In addition, to protect its quality and rarity, production of grand cru is strictly limited to about 500 gallons per acre -- even if the land could support more. Only seven wineries have the correct combination of sun, soil, and exposure to make a grand cru. It was the search for the perfect Chablis that had brought Read, head of the Palmers Green Wine Society in north London, to Chablis.
Indeed, it is wine that brings most people here, to settle or visit. The history of wine in the valley of the Serein River, which bisects Chablis, goes back at least to Roman times. In early autumn, the sweet odor of wine pressing fills the air. The locals call the sweet mist ''le part des anges" (the angel's share).
