Delectable wines and ciders at only 1-hour from Montreal for one perfect day.
You may not know that some wine is made in Quebec.
Don’t feel bad about this, this is not the ideal place in the world for making wine right?
With -40ºC and 50 centimetres of snow in winter, it can sound crazy to make wine there, yet it is done.
Does that instil any curiosity in you?
Discovering wines made in very harsh conditions may give you some doubts about their qualities. Seriously, is it possible to make good wine in this kind of environment?
Also, is it really worth trying them and visiting their producers? Your time is precious after all.
Well, the eastern townships is the biggest wine region in Quebec with 65% of the production, and is, to me, well worth visiting if you’re around for several days.
Located at about 1-hour drive south of Montreal, you will delight in driving on its small cute backcountry routes, surrounded by hills and lovely tiny villages.
Making wine there ask for some kind of courage and resilience, which makes meeting producers of these qualities even more interesting.
So are you ready?
Start the day at La Bauge, the ultimate wine tourism experience.
La Bauge is located in Brigham and is the third winery founded in Québec. It is run by the Naud family.
Take the opportunity to learn about wine tasting in a fun way. Their multisensory tasting invites you to taste their rosé using all your senses, through games of association. You will play with aromas, music, works of art on their charming patio in the heart of the vineyard.
Enjoy strolling along the path bordered by a fence to see their boars (the emblem of the vineyard), red deers from New Zealand, yaks from Tibet, Emus from Australia and Llamas from the Andes.
Lunch at Orpailleur, the biggest wine estate in Quebec.
Delight in Dunham at Tire Bouchon, Orpailleur restaurant. Taste local cuisine on the terrace made with the herbs and spices from the garden.
Learn about how wine is made in their vineyard following the viticultural interpretation path. Continue inside in the small museum where you will discover how barrels and corks are made.
Orpailleur Estate is the second Quebec winery founded more than 30 years ago by 2 french and 2 quebecers. This is the biggest vineyard in the province and you will find there a good sparkling wine.
Spend the afternoon overlooking the mountains at Val Caudalies, while enjoying delicious wines, ciders and vermouth!
Val Caudalies was founded in 2005 by 3 friends without any experience in agriculture. They have an orchad and a vineyard where they make cider and wine out of it. 70% of wine production is made with the Vidal grape.
I definitely recommend you to taste their wines, ciders and vermouth. (You can taste 6 products for 6$). I loved them all, absolutely delicious.
Don’t miss their cider aged during 10 years in oak barrel, this is excellent! This is the perfect pairing with some dark chocolate.
Spend the end of the afternoon with your friends enjoying their cider chilled on the terrace.
To Conclude
Making extraordinary wines in Quebec might not be possible but producing good everyday wine is. However, you can find excellent ice wine there but this is the subject of another article.
The eastern townships is a region full of beautiful scenery, charming villages such as Frelighsburg or Dunham and miles of cycling routes. Go and meet its dynamic people with a good spirit who have a great passion for making delicious regional produces for your own delight.
Start planning your adventure in Quebec’s backcountry now as the nice season is just starting with many events rich in culture. So take your car, the Eastern townships await you.
