After our visit to Provins, we continued on to the town of Chablis. It rained most of the way there, though not as hard. Along the way, we drove through mostly agricultural lands. There was an abundance of corn, sunflowers and hay fields as we wound our way through one small town after another.

Eventually, the farmland changed over to vineyards, so we knew we were getting close. Then the town names started to look familiar on the direction signs – Tonnerre, Auxerre and finally Chablis.

We stayed at the Hotel du Vieux Moulins (Hotel of the Old Mills). It is a property owned by Domaine Laroche and is a guesthouse located along the Serein River and at one point it was an old mill. These days, it is a very nice hotel, complete with a Michelin starred restaurant next door and a self-serve honor bar with delightful Laroche wines.

While the hotel’s common space was great, our rooms were equally nice, spacious and comfortable. We had a large bedroom, two bathrooms, a sitting room and a lovely patio with a great view of the Grand Cru vineyards.

Arriving in the late afternoon after a stressful rain-plagued drive, we went to the lounge and enjoyed the first of what would be many wonderful Chablis wines. The honor bar was not stocked with mediocre wines and their prices were great. We went for the cost saving bottles rather than glasses.

After chilling out for a bit, Sue and I walked over to Chablis Wine Not, a wine bar that also serves meals, charcuterie and small plates to go along with the wines. It was a wonderful way to end the day.

We ordered a nice bottle of Domaine Billaud-Simon chablis and paired it up with some tasty Iberian ham, a selection of cheeses, fresh crunchy bread and Japanese chicken bites. Everything was delicious, including the dessert of Creme fraîche with apricots and nuts.

It was a feast fit for a king that they were willing to serve to peasants – and we’re glad they did!

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For our first full day, we had planned on a day trip to Auxerre and Noyers-Sur-Serein. However, Mother Nature was still in a rainy mood, so we decided not to drive and then trudge around in the rain. So as far as Auxerre and Noyers-sur-Serein were concerned – we said: “Next time!”

The weather did clear up later in the afternoon, so we were at least able to get out and explore the town.

Again, it was like being transported back in time. The buildings and streets date back to the 15th century, with the area itself first being inhabited over 1100 years ago in the year 867. Lots of cute little shops and restaurants line the streets, along with some very good wineries.

The town was not crowded at all. In fact, it felt like everybody left for a few days. We expected crowds of tourists, but we were told it has been a quiet end-of-the-season.

Dinner was highly anticipated. We dined at Au Fil du Zinc, the fancy-pants restaurant next to our hotel. And let me tell you, it met and exceeded our expectations.

It was a seven course Chef’s tasting menu that we paired with a bottle of Domaine Nathalie & Gilles Fevre 1er Cru Chablis and a bottle of Gevry-Chambertin Red Burgundy. Both paired perfectly with the courses.

Forgive me for not remembering each specific course, but I was too busy enjoying them. Here is a run down of the meal:

Appetizer – Brioche ‘hot dog’, artichoke purée, escargot ball

Veggie – Cauliflower, potato, green beans with mushroom ragu

Mushrooms with crème fraîche and mussels

Seafood – Monkfish

Meat – Duck breast and duck tart

Cheese – Brie and walnuts

Dessert – Walnut tartlet, crème fraîche, grape sorbet and mini grapes

Petit Fours – Chocolate mini cake, tomato macaroon and Marshmallow Current.

It sounds so ordinary when just listed out, but it really was inventive and delicious.

As the restaurant was in our hotel building, we only had to walk upstairs to go relax and digest.