Quebec wine: 40 years of knowledge

You had to be a bit crazy to want to make wine in Quebec in the 1980s. At least, that’s what people said. Hindsight allows us to see that it was above all necessary to be visionary. After four decades of exploration and hard work, Quebec wine is carving out an increasingly assertive place alongside industry classics. Different — and no less tasty, contrary to what we might have thought at one time — the product of the vine here today displays its Nordic nuances and its unique character without complexes.

Isabelle Morin
The Press

That day, fifteen Quebec winegrowers are invited to a virtual round table for the launch of the TV series The vine is beautiful, broadcast on Télé-Québec. This exceptional “family reunion”, where different generations of producers are represented, is an opportunity to observe the path traveled in 40 years of wine-growing adventure in Quebec. The spirit is camaraderie. We are there for the same passion. For the same cause.

It was also necessary to be invested with a mission to embark on the vine in unknown territory, 40 years ago. Charles-Henri de Coussergues, early pioneer with the Orpailleur vineyard in Estrie, remembers: “Seeing the arrival of a 21-year-old young man, son of a winegrower in Provence, who wants to get into the vineyard in Quebec , the question that came up all the time was: “Why?” We were drowned in a sea of ​​prejudices and we were considered cranks. »

Let’s go back to the context of the time when a Quebec farmer was not allowed to make alcohol and wanting to open his doors to visitors was still a pipe dream. Going to knock on the doors of the Ministry of Tourism, Charles-Henri de Coussergues was also told that agriculture and tourism were like oil and vinegar: two things that do not mix. The producer, who receives many visitors to the vineyard each year, has since demonstrated that unfailing determination can emulsify everything.

“I have often heard that the vine would be a flash in the pan, but all that was fuel for me, says the winemaker. Here we are, 40 years later: we lack winegrowers and we lack wine. This observation confirms his choice: the vine was well rooted and not about to disappear.

The arrival of organic and the boom of the 2000s

In 2026, half of the winegrowers who are members of the Conseil des Vins du Québec (CVQ) will be certified organic or in transition to become so, according to recent industry data. In the 1990s, the idea was not only far-fetched, but also strongly discouraged by Carole Desrochers and Mario Plante, who nevertheless decided to go ahead by starting the Négondos vineyard in organic farming. They pride themselves today on having been the only certified organic winegrowers in the 20th century.^and century in Quebec, the others having followed in the following millennium.

We went there by trial and error, says Mario Plante. “The expertise was French and we tried to apply a known model on a different terroir and in different climatic conditions. Here, with our very long winters, we had to rethink our way of working both the vines and the wines. It took a whole process to manage to be more humble in front of our conditions and to accept our limits and the characteristics of our grape varieties. »

The 2000s will have been a decade of development of the vine with rustic or hybrid grape varieties, including crosses between native North American vines and those of Europe. However, these grape varieties have in common a striking acidity: a clear disadvantage in a universe dominated by tannic wines such as Bordeaux or more fleshy grape varieties, observes Simon Naud, whose family created the La Bauge vineyard in 1986. For the Domaine Bergeville, from North Hatley, this acidity was a definite asset and the trigger to embark on the adventure, says winemaker Ève Rainville. “Acidity is the backbone of a sparkling wine. For us, the challenge was to vinify to make good sparkling wines. »

Quebec remains a marginal climate for vines. To each his own terroir, to each his particularities, however, specifies Yvan Quirion, of Domaine St-Jacques, in Montérégie, who has perfected winter protection techniques. “American hybrids work extremely well in several places in Quebec, but not here. This is proof that each territory has its specificities,” says the winemaker, who launched his first vintage in 2008 and who today produces 12 wines, including a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir.

Affirmation of an identity

If the successes of the 1980s and 1990s shaped the development of Quebec wine at the turn of the century, the following was exponential. The pressure is today on the winegrowers to produce more. ” The growth of the Quebec vineyard is dazzling,” says Stéphane Lamarre. His Château de cartes, both a vineyard and a cider house, produced 8,000 to 9,000 bottles before entering the SAQ and grocery stores.

The path having been cleared, it is now possible to focus more on development and research, believe the next generation of winegrowers, including Mathieu Beauchemin, from Domaine du Nival, Véronique Lemieux, who founded a project experimental planting of vineyards in an urban environment, and Sophie Bélair-Hamel, of the Racine Sisters. “The history of Quebec is super young. We each participate in our own way, but we still write it, notes the latter. I think we have to stay on top of this reality to build bridges with our seasoned winegrowers. »

The new generation of Quebec winegrowers cannot take pleasure in the knowledge acquired by previous generations, also thinks Guillaume Laliberté, co-founder of the Lieux commun label. The challenges to be met are not lacking. Access to land is an important issue. The assertion of an identity too, according to the sommelier and owner of the La Vieille Grange estate, in Beauce, Win Le Phan. “Our challenge will be to share what Quebec wine is and to make people understand that it won’t taste like amarone or the wine you like. It is another type of wine that we are proud to present to you and which comes from our terroir. »

“For years, we tried to make wines to please, which over time led to wines to be, adds Steve Beauséjour, who joined the La Bauge vineyard. We are in our quest for identity and we are looking for an authenticity that represents our place: wines with the lovely acidity of cranberries, rhubarb and the berries that grow here, wines that resemble us. We are in the process of assuming this identity, understanding it and nurturing it. »