Caroline & Hervé Malinge

Caroline and Hervé Malinge — vintages 1991 and 1990 — run Domaine des Sables Verts in Saumur. She’s from Picardy, he’s from the Vendée, and they first met at business school in Bordeaux, already dreaming of one day owning their own estate — a dream their friends didn’t quite believe in. Hervé is doing a work-study stint at Château Jean Faure in Saint-Émilion, while Caroline works as a sales assistant in the Côtes de Bordeaux. But the urge to make their own wine never fades. At 28, they start looking for a domaine to take over; word of mouth eventually leads them to Saumur — an appellation they never imagined they’d one day call home — and, little by little, they take over Domaine des Sables Verts. Today they farm 8 hectares organically (with another 8 in the local co-op), including parcels in Poyeux, crafting precise wines. Bottles their friends — and everyone else — can actually afford. Delicious wines, gentle prices.