Fête des Vins de Chablis

The Fête des Vins de Chablis, a tradition born in 1949

The Fête des Vins de Chablis is one of Burgundy's oldest wine celebrations. Created in 1949 to mark the revival of the Chablis vineyards after the destruction of World War II, this event has established itself as a must-attend in the French wine tourism calendar. Jointly organized by the Office du Chablis and the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), it takes place every year on the fourth weekend of October, in the very heart of the village of Chablis, in the Yonne department, at the gateway to Burgundy.

For over seven decades, the festival has faithfully fulfilled its primary mission: to promote and foster appreciation for Chablis wines among the general public, from discerning amateurs to curious neophytes. As a Vignobles & Découvertes label event, it attracts over 7,000 visitors each year from all over France and abroad. Chablis wines, exclusively from Chardonnay grown on Kimmeridgian soils, are among the most exported dry white wines in the world — over 67% of production goes internationally.

Chablis Wines: Four Levels of Excellence

The appellation hierarchy in Chablis is one of the most coherent in Burgundy. It is structured around four levels, all derived from a single grape variety: Chardonnay.

• Petit Chablis: Light, fresh, and fruity, produced on the limestone plateaus surrounding the central vineyard. Ideal as an aperitif.
• Chablis: The village appellation, mineral and lemony, characterized by its purity and straightforwardness on the palate. Nicknamed the "green gold" of Burgundy.
• Chablis Premier Cru: Forty named vineyards spread across seventeen appellations, including the famous Montée de Tonnerre, Fourchaume, and Montmains. More complex wines, with a fine structure and notes of ripe white fruit and hazelnut.
• Chablis Grand Cru: Seven appellations — Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur, and Vaudésir — all located on an exceptional south-facing slope opposite the village. The greatest Chablis white wines, with deep minerality and remarkable longevity.

During the Fête des Vins, about fifty estates and houses from the Chablis and Grand Auxerrois regions (Irancy, Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre) gather side-by-side on Boulevard du Dr Tacussel to offer free tastings, allowing visitors to explore the entire range of appellations and vintages in just a few hours.

The Program: Two Days of Immersion in Chablis

Saturday: Open Doors to the Vineyard

On Saturday afternoon, starting at 12:30 PM, the heart of the village transforms into a vast open-air tasting area. Winegrowers' stands line the boulevard, each offering their wines for free tasting with the official festival glass (6 €). In parallel, gastronomic stands offer local specialties: Yonne cheeses, Burgundian charcuterie, escargots, gingerbread, and other regional products. Exhibitions of winegrowing equipment and vintage cars animate the squares. Musicians, blind tasting workshops, food and wine pairings, and family entertainment complete this first day of festivities.

Sunday: The Grand Ceremony of the Piliers Chablisiens

On Sunday morning, from 9:00 AM, guided vineyard walks depart from Place Lafayette approximately every fifteen minutes. These oenological strolls through the heart of the vineyards allow visitors to understand the unique Kimmeridgian geology of the Chablis terroir and admire the vine-covered landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see under the autumn sky.

At 10:30 AM, the most anticipated moment of the weekend: the solemn parade of the Confrérie des Piliers Chablisiens. Accompanied by the Godfather and Godmother of the new vintage — always personalities from the world of culture, entertainment, or arts — the President of the Fête des Vins, officials, and the "Les Enfants de Chablis" brass band, the procession crosses the village's cobbled streets before converging on the majestic courtyard of Château Long-Depaquit. There, the ceremony of the christening of the vintage takes place: the godparents discuss the past wine year, the climatic conditions, and the initial taste characteristics of the new wine. Then come the highly anticipated inductions, during which new members join the brotherhood to the cheers of the crowd.

Partner Vineyard and New Features Each Year

Each year, the Fête des Vins de Chablis invites a partner vineyard from Burgundy to present its wines alongside those from Chablis. This tradition of openness allows visitors to discover other Burgundian terroirs while keeping Chablis as a reference point. In 2025, the Beaujolais cru Moulin-à-Vent was the guest of honor. The organizers also enrich each edition with new activities: in 2025, "Le Manège des Petits Bouchons" (The Little Corks Carousel), an artisanal attraction made from recycled materials (barrels, bottles), was inaugurated on Place Lafayette, reflecting an increasingly strong commitment to environmental responsibility.

Chablis, a Village of Art and History in the Heart of the Vineyard

The Fête des Vins is also an opportunity to (re)discover Chablis, a remarkably preserved medieval town in Lower Burgundy. Its Saint-Martin church, a former hospice stopover on the Compostela route, houses a classified 12th-century Romanesque portal. The Collégiale and the old limestone bourgeois residences create a unique atmosphere. East of the village, the seven Grands Crus form an amphitheater of vines of striking beauty in autumn colors. Descending towards the Serein, the river that flows through Chablis, one passes by cellars and caves carved into the limestone where thousands of bottles of the finest Chablis vintages rest.