About Domaine Ménard-Gaborit

Established in 1734, Domaine Ménard-Gaborit is a family winery in the Sèvre et Maine appellation, in the heart of the Nantes wine region. Six successive generations have tended the family vines, planted in the shadow of the Moulin de la Minière, the local windmill built at the highest point in the area. Today the estate totals nearly forty hectares of vines tended by François Ménard and his wife Pauline, a dynamic couple who continue to push this historic estate forward. 

Though François grew up around the domaine, his journey less than direct. He first attended business school and worked abroad before returning to the Loire to complete his viticultural studies in Angers. This was followed by winemaking stints in France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, and South Africa and this breadth of experience has heavily impacted his approach at the family domaine since. His wife Pauline joined him at the domaine in 2021 after a career in the agri-food industry.

Together they are pushing this venerable domaine into the future. The vines are farmed entirely without chemicals, the soils are tilled only superificially to encourage microbiological health, and the vines are treated with a number of homeopathic remedies to build their resistance to fungal diseases such as mildew and oïdium. They have also begun to incorporate animals into vineyard maintenance, with a focus on eco-grazing.

In the cellar, the wines are largely vinified in the most traditional fashion. Fermentation and aging take place mostly in the subterranean tanks of concrete lined with glass that are common in this part of the Loire, though they have begun to experiment with concrete eggs, skin-contact fermentation, and no-sulfur winemaking as well.