The Domaine Ménard-Gaborit: a family history for more than 5 generations

On the heights of Monnières in the Loire, let's meet Philippe Ménard, winegrower at the Domaine Ménard-Gaborit.Domaine Menard-GaboritStarting from the purest of traditions, he tells us how today he keeps the estate alive with his brother Thierry and his wife Pascale, between "sustainable agriculture", friendly wine tourism, and the conquest of international trade shows.

The Ménard-Gaborit family: A family of winegrowers in Monnières, in the Loire

In my family, wine was not really an option. I grew up with parents who were both wine growers for more than five generations. As a young man, I worked in the fields with viticulture more in my body than in my mind. Then, my studies at the Beaune viticultural high school made me see the profession in a new light, notably thanks to the friendships I made there around wine. In 1983, I started working with my father on the farm, and five years later we became partners. At the same time, my younger brother Thierry, who was studying business at the time, was tempted by the experience. I quickly put him at ease and proposed him to join us in the adventure in 1991. Today he is specialized in the commercial part of the domain, while I work more on the vineyard part. But that's not all, my wife Pascale is also by our side and works on the management and accounting side of the estate as well as the wine tourism activities. It's a change from my father's or grandfather's time, when they were the only ones to make decisions for the estate!

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The Muscadet of Domaine Ménard-Gaborit

Our approach to our customers is totally different from that of my parents because we offer a much more complete range of wines. Thus, we work in the appellationMuscadet Sèvre et Maine on 6 or 7 different muscadets, not to mention the vintages. Today, we are working to make people discover or rediscover the melon de BurgundyThrough its vinification, its terroir, it offers a rare diversity... and many amateurs say they are pleasantly surprised by the complexity and the potential of this wine.

At the domain, we produce three ranges of wines:

• first, the Omega range - based on table wines, spontaneous and that we drink in the moment,
• Then, there is the Mégali range (the contraction of Ménard-Gaborit and "Lie") with its round, unctuous and slightly pearly muscadets,
• Finally, we have the Méganomes (the contraction of Ménard-Gaborit and gastronome), wines that are more structured and complex and that are intended for gastronomy, such as our Appellation Communale Monnières-Saint-Fiacre.

In this precise case, the specifications are more precise than for other wines: the plot of land must be retained by the INAO (National Institute of Origin and Quality) and the vinification lasts between 24 and 36 months. With these wines, the pearliness literally fades away to make room for more exoticism and length in the mouth.

Our favorite vintages of the domain:

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie 2017: One finds in mouth aromas of white flesh fruits, green apples and a certain minerality.

Monnières Saint-Fiacre 2012: This round and intense wine with a nice balance offers a long finish full of freshness.

1st stopover white 2021: A fresh and fruity nose with notes of pear, peach and apricot.

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The " Agriculture Raisonnée " certification, a personal commitment for Philippe Ménard

We are not organic, but we have always wanted to respect nature as much as possible, to quantify our practices, to register them in order to obtain a coherent state of mind and transparency with our prescribers. Insofar as there is no "Agriculture Raisonnée" advertising on our bottles, it is a personal commitment, without any opportunism. Qualified twice (the certification is valid for 5 years), we are also qualifiedHVE (High Environmental Value)A process recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture in order to harmonize and broaden the environmental spectrum. This takes into account different poles (biodiversity, phytosanitary control, fertilization, water management).

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Things are moving at Domaine Ménard-Gaborit: a gîte, dinner-concerts and soon exhibitions in China!

Today, people are more and more curious about the winegrowing profession: we have therefore decided to open up the estate to tourism, even to the public.wine tourism. This starts with the "Molinaria" gite which has been available for 3 years at the estate. We also have a room for thematic meals, a unique menu prepared by my wife, where the atmosphere is always relaxed and friendly. By the end of the year, we also plan to organize dinner-concerts and other lively activities around wine. And as we like to broaden our horizons, our sales manager Maxime Lavolé will soon be leaving for China to present our wines at trade fairs.