Two floors under the roof where there are 140 vines, Montrealers bottle thousands of liters of wine made from Quebec grapes.
“We produce wine, cider and alcoholic beverages made, among other things, from grape residues,” explains Laurent Noël, one of the co-founders, in the company’s cellar where oak barrels age the wine.
“Our business model is inspired by the circular economy; we work with organizations like Cidre Sauvageon and Vignes en ville,” adds Guillaume Laliberté, one of the three other co-founders.
In a few years, they will be able to produce wine from their own grape varieties since they have planted vines in Oka. Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Gris, Gamay will be produced, bottled and aged in the Montreal region.
But the four urban winemakers who founded Lieux commun in 2018 didn’t wait for their first grapes to bottle thousands of bottles that they sell in 300 grocery stores and restaurants in the Montreal area.
30,000 liters
Born as a project between friends five years ago, Lieux commun produced less than 200 liters in the first year. Today, we are aiming for a production of 30,000 liters per year.
In addition to wine, the company produces cider and alcoholic beverages. It extracts sugar from various plant products (flowers, berries, honey) to ferment it and produce an alcohol that can be mixed with flavored liquids.
The two friends who meet The newspaper are part-time in their business for now, but could make it a full-time job if demand warrants.
In the meantime, Guillaume continues his career as a sommelier and Laurent pilots boats in the St. Lawrence between Quebec and Montreal.