Saumur

Domaine de l’Austral | Saumur-Puy Notre Dame

Certified Organic

While working on a farm in Australia, Pauline Mourrain and Laurent Troubat had their “A-ha!” moment that their calling was to work on an organic vineyard and make wine. While Pauline was interning with Aimeric Mélaric, she met Françoise and Philippe Gourdon of Château Tour Grise, who were retiring soon and in search of young talent to take over their historic estate. (read more)

Saumur-Champigny

Sylvain Dittière - La Porte Saint Jean | Montreuil-Bellay

Certified Organic

Sylvain Dittière learned how to cultivate plants in his youth. His parents were rose growers. But as lovely as roses may be, they left him uninspired, and so he decidedly turned to the vine and began an apprenticeship at Domaine du Collier, Antoine Foucault’s iconic organic domaine in Saumur. It was here that Sylvain’s passion for making wines without chemical interventions took root. He went on to complete his studies in oenology while simultaneously challenging much of what he learned in school while interning at yet another benchmark organic domaine in Saumur – Thierry Germain’s Domaine des Roches Neuves. To round out his education, or “un-education” as Sylvain puts it, he followed up with stints at two more well-regarded organic domaines in opposite corners of France – two years alongside Marc Tempé in Alsace, and then another year with Gerard Gauby in the Roussillon, principally in the cellar. All in all, a very impressive “un-education!” (read more)

Bourgueil

Laurent Herlin | Chouzé-sur-Loire

Certified Organic & Biodynamic

After a successful career as a computer engineer, Laurent Herlin felt his lifelong passion for wine, ecology, and the Loire Valley’s Cabernet Franc calling. He studied in Beaune and interned in a few places before starting his domaine in 2009 with some purchased fruit. In 2011, he settled on a small farm in Bourgueil with 1ha of Cabernet Franc. (read more)

Touraine

Domaine Bonnigal-Bodet | Limeray / Amboise

Certified Organic

Long time best friends Jean-Baptiste Bonnigal and Stéphane Bodet first cut their teeth in the industry in Saint-Émilion. After getting their diplomas, Stéphane stayed in Saint-Émilion, while Jean-Baptiste headed to New Zealand and Australia. (read more)

Côteaux du Giennois

Florian Roblin | Maimbry

Certified Organic

Often referred to as “the poor man’s Sancerre,” the Côteaux du Giennois lies approximately 20 km north of Sancerre. The best parcels, such as Florian’s ‘Champ Gibault,’ often have a mix of clay and flint over a chalk base. This all translates to affordable wines with a clear cut mineral character. His whites could easily be mistaken for Sancerre tasted blind, and his red offers a bit more richness, structure, and fruit-forwardness than many Sancerre rouges – all at the fraction of the price. (read more)

Pouilly-sur-Loire / Pouilly-Fumé

Jonathan Pabiot | Pouilly-sur-Loire

Certified Organic & Biodynamic

In 2005, after working with Léon Barral in the Languedoc, 4th generation winegrower Jonathan returned to his family estate, convinced that organic farming was the way to go. His father, however, was not easily convinced and gave him just 1.5ha to start. Jonathan then acquired an additional 1.5ha and converted all 3 to organic farming. A few years later, when his father saw how sought after his son’s cuvées became, he joined forces with Jonathan and allowed him to convert the remaining 17ha of the family vineyards to organic. It wasn’t long until Jonathan saw a dramatic improvement and felt that practicing biodynamics would be the natural next step. (read more)

Loiret

Julien Thurel (cider) | Loury

Certified Organic

Julien Thurel, a woodsman and ornithologist, has been making foraged and organically farmed pear and apple ciders since 2012. This bird and tree specialist has devoted much time to researching local apple and pear varieties and selecting the ones best suited to his native clay, limestone, and silex soils. A perfectionist and nativist, Julien is driven by a mission to find the best local varieties that would lead to delicate yet aromatically complex and ageworthy ciders. (read more)