Signature Vin de France: Maison Glandien and the choice of the simplest category

The label of Maison Glandien names neither a village nor a cru: it says Vin de France, the simplest category of French wine. For many winemakers, it is not a fallback but a deliberate choice, and understanding it helps you read the bottles correctly. Here, we look at what Vin de France is, why some producers prefer it to appellations of origin, who is behind Maison Glandien, and how to serve and assess the Vin de France wines in STELT's selection.

What is Vin de France

The technical name is “wine without a geographical indication”: these are the successors to the old vin de table wines. The European wine reform, which came into effect on August 1, 2009, allowed these wines to state the grape variety and vintage on the label, and in France, the designation Vin de France gradually took the place of the old category.

The most important rule concerns origin: the label cannot state a more precise origin than France, so no region or municipality can be named. In return, grapes and wines from different regions can end up in the same bottle, and the winemaker is not bound by the grape varieties specified in a region’s regulations.

Why a winemaker chooses the simplest category

Appellations of origin protect a place and a style by setting precise rules. The regulations for Côtes du Jura, for example, list the permitted grape varieties and define the area where the grapes are harvested and the wine is made. The wines also undergo checks that include tasting, and those that stray too far from the style expected of the area may be excluded.

Three reasons in particular lead people to step outside this framework. There's geography: those who buy grapes in different areas and vinify them far from where they were grown often don't qualify for any appellation. Then there are grape varieties: a variety not permitted by the local regulations means giving up the area's name. And there's style: winemaking with indigenous yeasts and without filtration can produce wines that differ from the norm and are therefore more likely to receive a negative assessment. Vin de France removes these restrictions. But the label no longer tells you where the wine comes from: all that remains is the producer's name and, when available, the grape variety and vintage. That's why, with a Vin de France, it matters who is behind the bottle.

Maison Glandien, Tino Kuban's micro-négoce

The story of Maison Glandien begins in Meursault in 2018. Tino Kuban, a native of Berlin, arrives in Burgundy after gaining experience at several wineries, in France and abroad; that year, he makes a few barrels of wine from purchased grapes, for himself and his friends. From 2020, the project becomes a bona fide micro-négoce: the grapes come from winegrowers Kuban works with in several regions, including Burgundy, Beaujolais, Alsace and Jura, and the labels are released as Vin de France.

Work in the cellar follows a clear approach. The reds ferment as whole clusters, with long macerations; the whites are pressed using a vertical press. The wine ages in previously used barrels and is bottled without fining or filtration, with very little sulfur dioxide. Among the Maison's wines selected by STELT are the 2021 reds Les Ecully, La Leux and L'Ouverture Rouge, and the rosé L'Ouverture Rosé. The Maison Glandien collection tells the story of the Maison and brings together its labels.

More Vin de France: Allante & Boulanger and Bornard & Ponnelle

Vin de France is not just a négociant's choice. Allante & Boulanger is the project of two winemakers who make their wines in the south of Jura, between Gizia and Rotalier, the village that is also home to Domaine Ganevat, featured in our guide to Jura and Vin Jaune. In the Jura wine collection, STELT has three of their wines: Poulsard, one of the region's red grape varieties, the white Phénomaynal, and a Pineau d'Aunis, a historic grape variety from the Loire that is not permitted under the Côtes du Jura appellation regulations.

The same selection also includes Les Viandris Chardonnay 2021 by Bornard & Ponnelle, a white wine that is also released as Vin de France.

How to serve Vin de France: temperature and order

With low-sulfite, unfiltered wines like those from Maison Glandien, care starts before opening the bottle: keep them cool and away from temperature fluctuations, as heat speeds up the wine's evolution. It's also best to stand unfiltered bottles upright a few hours in advance, or preferably the day before, so any sediment settles to the bottom; then pour gently, without shaking.

White wines and rosé should be served between 9 and 12 degrees, light reds between 12 and 14. It is better to start one degree below, because wine warms by about two degrees in the glass. Too cold, a red seems harder and more bitter; too warm, it brings out the alcohol. As for the order, the rule is to go from the lightest wine to the most structured. With the bottles mentioned here, one possible sequence is:

• the whites, Les Viandris Chardonnay and Phénomaynal;
• the rosé L'Ouverture Rosé;
• the light-skinned grape reds, Poulsard and Pineau d'Aunis from Allante & Boulanger;
• the reds from Maison Glandien, L'Ouverture Rouge, Les Ecully and La Leux.

A newly opened young red may seem closed, with reductive aromas that fade with exposure to air. With more delicate reds, it is best to give the wine time in the glass.

What to look for in the glass

The color should be viewed without preconceptions. Poulsard, for example, has thin skins and produces very pale reds, sometimes close in color to a rosé, which are nevertheless treated as reds at the table. Pineau d'Aunis also produces light-colored wines.

Then clarity: a wine that has not been fined or filtered may look slightly cloudy or leave a sediment, and this is not a flaw. Finally, time. It is best to pour a little wine at a time and come back to it after a few minutes: as it meets the air and warms up, the wine changes, and this is something to follow closely during a tasting.

In the STELT selection, these Vin de France sit alongside Burgundy and Jura appellation wines, and the comparison helps show what a label says and what it leaves unsaid. STELT, a fine wine shop in Lucca, organizes tastings and themed events, including private ones for small groups of enthusiasts and collectors. It is part of STELT's Tasting Week: a different wine-tasting journey each day.