Gevrey-Chambertin lies along the Route des Grands Crus, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) south of Dijon or 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Beaune, in the heart of the Côte d'Or area of Burgundy (map).

Above, Beautiful grapes in Gevrey-Chambertin.

Its a tiny village of about 3,000 people whose fame far surpasses its population. Gevrey-Chambertin is home to at least nine grands crus red wines, the very best of French wines.

There are vineyards in the town and all around the town, lucious grapes everywhere. If you go during the vendanges, or harvest, as we did, the village will be quite isolated, as everyone who lives there is involved in the grape and wine business.

There's a small tourist office in the center of town, a few hotels and restaurants, some picturesque old wine equipment scattered about the town, and of course flowers.

There is also a château fort, visible through the vineyards. It was part of the property of the Abbey of Cluny. The Clunesiens never built a monastery in Gevrey-Chambertin, just the château. The château's job was to protect the caves or wine cellars and vineyards. For over 800 years the monks of Cluny produced and protected the wines of Gevrey-Chambertin!

Today the village is a Site Clunesien, a designation created in 1994 to unite those locations that were the property of, or had special relations with, the Abbey of Cluny between 910 and 1790.

It's fair to say that fine wine has been the raison d'être for Gevrey-Chambertin for over a thousand years. That's a history that is hard to duplicate. The village is rightly proud of its heritage.

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