No one claims to drink wine bought at the grocery store, and yet many do. The numbers prove it: one in four bottles drunk in Quebec comes from the grocery store. And wine is sometimes better than you think.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
Since moving to Spain in the 1990s, Nathalie Bonhomme has introduced the wines of this country to Quebecers. First by importing wine, then by producing bottles from the Bonhomme range. The businesswoman now has another mission: to make wine even more ecological. To achieve this, she relies on the wine bottled here.
“Grocery wine is always associated with ‘yark’,” she explains while visiting Montreal. We need to change mentalities, because bottling is only one step in the process. This step should not be snubbed. »
The producer markets two wines bottled on the South Shore. The first is sold at the SAQ and the other in grocery stores. In both cases, Nathalie Bonhomme ships the finished wine from Spain to Canada in 1,000-litre containers. The liquid is protected by inert gas.
“Even for my wines bottled in Quebec, I know where the grapes come from,” she notes. I have traceability from the vine to the bottle. »
Three major bottlers
This is not yet the case for all grocery wines. This industry is occupied by three large industrial bottlers. They usually buy different unfinished wines that they blend once they arrive in Quebec. In the process, the cuvée loses its identity and, often, its quality.
But the ways of doing things are gradually changing. To reduce transportation and increase quality, bottlers are turning to Canadian wines, among other things. This is the case of Arterra, which markets dozens of brands of bottled wine in Quebec in grocery stores and at the SAQ.
“We created the Pas sages brand in collaboration with the SAQ,” explains Isabelle Meplon, head of public relations at Arterra Canada.
The SAQ has given itself the mandate of tripling the volume of sales of Canadian wines […] and encourage wines bottled in Quebec.
Isabelle Meplon, Head of Public Relations at Arterra Canada
This strategy works because the customers are there.
Sales on the rise
It’s not just the quality of grocery store wines that is increasing, but also the choice. Over the past five years, the number of cuvées offered in grocery stores has increased from 800 to 1,000 products.
And this number should multiply, because wine sales in grocery stores are increasing faster than those at the SAQ. Over the past year, store sales have climbed 1.9%, while grocery store sales have jumped 11.6%.
At Arterra, Isabelle Meplon explains this interest by accessibility. In one stop, you find your meal and your bottle.
Following numerous criticisms, the SAQ removed from its shelves the brands of wines bottled in Quebec, such as Wallaroo Trail and Revolution, which were also found in grocery stores. It now relies on distinct brands to give consumers confidence.
Three good grocery wines
Organic from Spain
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PRODUCER
In a pure state
In collaboration with Bodega Juan Gil, Quebecer Nathalie Bonhomme devotes as much attention and care to the production of this wine, bottled in Quebec, as to her other cuvées: she harvests by hand in a terroir located 850 meters above sea level. altitude in the south-east of Spain. She uses indigenous yeasts and the wine is certified organic. Result: based on monastrell, known as mourvèdre in French, this red is generous, spicy and full-bodied. It will go wonderfully with autumn braises.
Pure, $15.99 (at Rachelle-Béry retailers)
Typical
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PRODUCER
Maison Ladore, Cabernet Sauvignon No. 002
To convince consumers of the quality of grocery store wine, bottlers collaborate with well-known personalities. Thus the influencer Cassandra Loignon has just launched the brand Maison Landron. His American Cabernet-Sauvignon meets expectations. In the glass, the wine smells of ripe fruit. On the palate, its tannins are pleasant and its fruity taste could suggest that the wine is not dry. However, we assure you that it is. For $14.95 before taxes, it’s a good choice.
Maison Ladore, Cabernet Sauvignon No 002, $14.95 (at the grocery store)
Canadian bubbles
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE PRODUCER
Sparkling bu
Notice to prosecco lovers, this sparkling wine sold in grocery stores is worthy of interest. It is made with Chardonnay grapes grown in Canada. Its bubbles are produced according to the charmat method, in the same way as a prosecco. The effervescence is invigorating, the aromas of apples and pears are pleasant and to make the whole thing even silkier, it contains a hint of ice wine.
Sparkling Bù, $15.31 plus tax (at the grocery store)