schiller-wine: Tasting at Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Liv Vincendeau

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Tasting at Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Liv Vincendeau - Loire Valley 2025 by ombiasy WineTours

The Loire Tour 2025 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, October 5 to Thursday, October 16, 2025. The tour started in Nantes and ended in Sancerre, with a bus transfer and lunch in Paris. There were 9 of us including Annette and myself.

There is a lot of focus on natural, organic, biodynamic and low-intervention winemaking in the Loire valley. See: Salons des Vins - all with a Focus on Natural, Organic, Biodynamic and Low-intervention Producers in the Loire Valley and elsewhere in France and Europe - in February in Angers and Saumur, Loire Valley, France (February 2024)

One of the leaders of this movement is Liv Vincendeau from Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou.

Liv Vincendeau produces racy Chenin Blanc, two types of Rosé produced from a blend of traditional and autochthon grape varietals, a noble sweet Coteaux du Layon Rochefort, and spectacular Crémant de Loire. Her Crémant “Zeitlos” is raved about in every single top wine magazine.

The domaine is certified biodynamic by Demeter.

The wines of Liv Vincendeau are represented in the USA by Roni Selects.

Last time, Liv hopped on our bus and took us to her vineyards, where we spent some time. After that we went back home for a seated tasting in her wine cellar.

This time, we only enjoyed a tasting in the courtyard of Domäne Vincendeau.

Loire 2025 by ombiasy WineTours led by Annette Schiller

Annette Schiller in her announcement: What comes to your mind when you hear ‘Loire Valley’? Of course images of glorious Châteaux pop up in your mind. Yes that is true and we will visit some iconic château and dig deep into France’s history. However, during this wine tour we also discover a magnificent, but often overlooked French wine region and one of the most exciting best kept secrets of excellent, high quality wines at very reasonable prices. The Loire Valley wine region is a vast area and consists of several distinct wine regions, each with its own characteristic grapes, appellations, and wine style. We take you on a journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Auvergne mountains to explore this unique region. We learn to appreciate “Sancerre”, "Pouilly-Fumé", “Vouvray", “Chinon”, as well as many other not so familiar appellations.

Visiting Natural Wine Producer Liv Vincendeau - Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort sur Loire/ Anjou (February 2024)

In preparation of the Loire Valley Tour 2024 by ombiasy WineTours, Annette and I spent about 10 days in the Loire valley in February 2024. The focus was on verifying hotels, meeting many wine domaine owners, checking out restaurants and finding the best travel routes.

We went to all the domaines Annette plans to visit in June 2024 during the Loire Valley Tour 2024 by ombiasy WineTours. Typically, the visits were short, just a few minutes.

One exception was Domäne Vincendeau, an estate in Anjou that began producing wines in 2014. At the helm of this small estate is a woman from Germany named Liv Vincendeau. During the past 10 years, Liv has made a name of herself in the Loire natural wine scene.

We met her twice, first at the Salon des Vins Grenier Saint Jean, a wine fair with natural wine producers at the Le Grenier Saint Jean in Angers and, second, as follow up a couple of days later at her estate in a little beautiful village called Rochefort sur Loire.

Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou (Liv Vincendeau)

Born in Darmstadt, Germany, where I also grew up, I first went to study (Master II in chemistry) in York (UK) and Strassburg (Alsace). Arriving in Anjou in 2000 during viticulture-oenology training, I have remained faithful to this beautiful province ever since. Creating my own domain – a dream!... and then a carefully prepared project. Many winegrowers from France and elsewhere have passed on to me their know-how and their passion for this magnificent profession. I thank them wholeheartedly. 2014 is the year of implementation and since then each vintage is a new adventure.

Liv Vincendeau/ Raw Wine New York

Liv Vincendeau: I created the Domäne back in 2014 in a little beautiful village called Rochefort sur Loire. We are a 1.5 hours train ride South West of Paris.. Organic agriculture from day 1 because I grew up like that!. It is a philosophy, a way of life. Vineyards sitting on top of the hill south of the Loire, looking down on this beautiful river and receiving a wonderful climate with some ocean influence (Atlantic just 1 hour away). Very superficial and stony soil. Special Terroir, schiste, quartz, volcanic stones, ...Dry farming and 100% hand harvest. Horse power and sheep too. Mainly Chenin blanc but a bit of red grapes : Cabernet France and Grolleau Noir. We then started the biodynamic way of cultivating our land. Demeter certification followed in 2020. We are a family winery and are working with local & very motivated staff. Our credo is to make elegant, pure wines with love and a lot of attention to the detail. I am very excited to meet everyone at Raw !! From Rochefort with Love

Introducing Liv Vincendeau! - Chambers Street Wines/ New York City

Chambers Street Wines (Eben Lillie): Earlier this year, while researching new winemakers in the Loire, I stumbled upon some information about Domäne Vincendeau, an estate in Anjou that began producing wines in 2014. At the helm of this new estate was not the usual 30-something French guy living in his van, but instead a woman from Germany named Liv Vincendeau, who settled in Rochefort-sur-Loire with her husband in 2013. I met Liv in January and was immediately impressed with her enthusiasm and friendliness. She was excited to share her wines, and explain the decisions she made in each vintage, and though she is a relative newcomer to the region, her knowledge about the grapes and soils of the Loire Valley was on par with any second or third generation winemaker I've met. In June I had a chance to visit her in Rochefort-sur-Loire, to see the vineyards and cellar. From high up on a hill above the Loire, we could see for miles, across the river to Savennieres in the distance. It's a great spot with good soils, and it was obvious to me that Liv had already developed a love for the place and the people, and a deep connection to her vines.

Liv came to the Loire valley in the early 2000s, with the idea to study winemaking and eventually form her own domaine. In 2013, she and her husband discovered an old house for sale at the base of the Loire river in Rochefort-sur-Loire, and with a little research, Liv found a few small parcels above the town. She quickly got to work converting the vineyards to organic farming. In an effort to minimize their carbon footprint, she chose to work the soil with a horse instead of a tractor (and she even drives an electric car!).

Most of Liv's parcels are Chenin Blanc, ranging from 10-80 years old, some Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and a newly planted parcel of Grolleau that she's quite excited about. The sub-soil is mostly schist (who doesn't love Chenin on schist?!) and the vineyards are littered with pieces of green and purple schist, quartz, and other mineral deposits. Winemaking is low-intervention, always indigenous yeast, with small amounts of sulfur added typically only at bottling. The wines are new classic expressions of the Loire, and we're proud to be able to share them with you!

Roni Selects (USA Importer)

Roni Selects: Liv Vincendeau came to the Loire in 2000 with the idea of studying winemaking and eventually having her own domain. She moved from Germany and eventually settled in Rochefort sur Loire when she and her husband found an old farmhouse for sale. Quickly she found a small parcel at the top of the town and immediately started the work of converting the vineyard to organic. Most of Liv’s parcels are Chenin Blanc, ranging from 10-80 year old vines. There is some Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Grolleau. The soil is mostly schist with mineral deposits scattered all over the vineyard. Liv believes in low-interventionist winemaking using naturally occurring yeast and minimal sulphur.

Arriving and Leaving