The Domaine de l’ Ecu is located in the Loire Valley, close to the city of Nantes. It was founded by Guy Bossard in 1972; the pioneer of organic (since 1975) and biodynamic (since 1988) farming in the region. Fred Niger, who trained with Guy for years, took over the estate in 2012 and he continues to this day the deeply committed work to biodynamic and organic practices.

Fred’s approach to winemaking can be defined by the simple philosophical principle: a good wine is made in the vineyard! Applying minimal intervention in the cellar and adding minimum, or no SO2, his wines are defined by the expression of terroir and the unique vintage character. Total sulfur levels at a max are 30-40mg/l, which is less than half of the maximum allowed by Demeter (their limit is 90mg/l). As Fred likes to say, he makes wines "without fuss, farce, or make-up".

Beside making exceptional Muscadet and working with the Melon de Bourgogne grape, Fred has side projects where he makes no SO2 wines with his like-minded grower friends - Les Temps de Copains and Love & Grapes.