Welcome to the official blog of Domaine du Moulin Camus! To inaugurate this space, we have chosen to honor the woman who guides our steps every day: Catherine Boulanger, an independent winemaker in Muscadet and owner of the estate. She will share with us her journey, her childhood memories in the heart of the vineyard, and her vision for the future of our cuvées.
Meeting the woman who brings the history of Domaine du Moulin Camus to life
In the heart of the Nantes vineyard, in Vallet, Domaine du Moulin Camus is above all a story of family, transmission, and a passion for wine. Since 1999, Catherine Boulanger has been at the helm of this family property specializing in Muscadet wines.
The daughter of Jeanne and Jean Huteau, she grew up surrounded by vines, grape harvests, and estate life. Yet, nothing initially destined her to become a winemaker. Drawn to international affairs and travel, she envisioned a very different career before destiny brought her back to her family’s land.
To inaugurate the Domaine du Moulin Camus blog, we gave the floor to the woman who embodies its soul today. In this interview, Catherine looks back on her journey, her childhood memories in the Nantes vineyard, the evolution of Muscadet, and her vision for the future of the estate.
From school benches to Nantes vines: Catherine Boulanger’s journey
A family history deeply rooted in the Nantes vineyard
The history of Domaine du Moulin Camus has been written for several generations in Vallet.
Originally, Jeanne Huteau owned the estate while Jean Huteau developed a wine merchant business in parallel. At that time, the family business mainly marketed table wines and blends intended for professional clients across Western France, notably in Cholet, Château-Gontier, or Angers (the Nantes region being already saturated).
The family project then seemed clear. Catherine’s brother, trained in viticulture and oenology and already working alongside his parents, was set to take over the business. However, his sudden passing at the age of 24 disrupted the future of the estate and that of the entire family.
A career change toward winemaking
While her brother was preparing to take over the estate, Catherine was following a completely different path.
After leaving for Paris, she undertook studies in international business with a desire to travel and work abroad, particularly in England. Her future seemed to be unfolding far from the Nantes vineyard.
But faced with the necessity of ensuring the continuity of Domaine du Moulin Camus, she decided to return to the region, to Vallet. Between 1993 and 1994, she obtained a BPREA agricultural diploma to acquire the necessary skills to take over a wine estate.
Before setting up her own business, she enriched her professional experience as an export manager in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre while working, in parallel, alongside the Sauvion family at Château du Cléray. This formative period allowed her to discover both the technical and commercial challenges of the wine sector.
The first harvests at the head of Domaine du Moulin Camus
On September 1, 1999, Catherine Boulanger officially established herself at Domaine du Moulin Camus.
A few days later, the harvest took an unexpected turn. Her father was injured following a fall into the vats and found himself bedridden.
For this young, newly settled winemaker, the learning process became immediate. It was necessary to manage the harvest, the vats, the pumps, the weather hazards, the vineyards scattered across the four corners of the region, and the daily technical unexpected events.
“I learned on the job,” could summarize this intense period.
While receiving advice from her father from his convalescent bed, Catherine progressively took control of the cellar. These first harvests marked the beginning of a new adventure and the birth of a true estate manager.
From that moment on, she fully assumed the leadership of the estate, supervising the vineyards as well as the winery, oenology, and commercial development.
Building a commercial strategy to develop the estate
At the end of the 1990s, Domaine du Moulin Camus possessed an efficient production tool but still needed to strengthen its commercial presence.
Direct sales to private customers were virtually non-existent at the time. The main objective consisted of developing volumes with wholesalers and distributors.
Under Catherine’s leadership, the estate progressively modernized its image: updating labels, harmonizing ranges, acquiring bottling equipment, and developing a more dynamic visual identity for its wines.
A major turning point occurred in 2008 with the arrival of François, her husband. Together, they strengthened the estate’s presence at trade fairs such as the Salon des Vins de Loire in Angers or ProWein. The creation of FB Vins Diffusion by François, in parallel with the estate, also made it possible to offer a wider selection of all Loire wines and to accelerate export development.
A life of anecdotes and shared passion with our terroir
Harvest memories of a child of the estate
Long before becoming the owner of Domaine du Moulin Camus, Catherine was a child of the Nantes vineyard.
Each year, the harvest transformed the family home into a true place of life. The grape pickers were accommodated on-site, and everyone shared meals around large, convivial tables.
At that time, the harvesting was done entirely by hand, and a good relationship between neighbors was a matter of course.
In the cellar, the fermenting barrels filled the air with their aromas, while traditional “bottereaux” pastries accompanied moments of togetherness.
Over the years, Catherine also watched Domaine du Moulin Camus evolve. The buildings expanded, the equipment was modernized, and certain spaces that once served as a playground became essential production tools.
Being a female winemaker in Muscadet: a heartfelt commitment
If life had followed its initial path, Catherine would probably have pursued her career internationally.
Today, however, she would not change her path for anything in the world.
Taking over Domaine du Moulin Camus allowed her to combine her two passions: wine and an openness to the world. Thanks to export development, she travels regularly to promote the estate’s wines and introduce Muscadet to professionals and consumers across the globe.
Deeply attached to Vallet and the Nantes vineyard, she is proud to represent an appellation that has always been part of her family history.
Perspectives: Muscadet and the future of Moulin Camus
How Muscadet managed to reinvent itself
For Catherine Boulanger, Muscadet has deeply evolved over the last decades.
Long considered a simple house wine associated with oysters, it sometimes suffered from a reductive image. Several crises also marked the vineyard, notably the frost episodes of the early 1990s and the gradual decline of certain export markets.
Faced with these challenges, producers were able to adapt their practices. Winemaking methods became more refined, terroirs were better highlighted, and the search for quality became a priority.
Today, Muscadet attracts a new generation of enthusiasts thanks to its freshness, precision, and great diversity of expressions.
Catherine’s ambitions for Domaine du Moulin Camus
After more than twenty-five years at the head of the estate, Catherine continues to look toward the future.
Her priority is to pursue the development of communication and marketing in order to bring better visibility to the wines of Domaine du Moulin Camus both in France and internationally.
For her, winemakers must be actors in their own development and reach out to their markets rather than waiting for opportunities.
This willingness to take initiative, innovate, and remain close to the market guides the estate’s projects today and will continue to accompany its evolution in the years to come.
Catherine Boulanger’s journey perfectly illustrates the values that drive Domaine du Moulin Camus: transmission, passion, and the ability to reinvent oneself.
Having returned to Vallet to preserve a precious family heritage, she was able to turn challenges into opportunities and contribute to the development of the estate while participating in the promotion of Muscadet.
Through her daily commitment, Catherine continues a story begun long before her, with the same ambition: to make the wines of the Nantes vineyard shine while staying true to her roots.