Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Published on Jul 19, 2022
In our vineyards you’ll discover passionate people who are constantly working to offer unique, trendy wines of the highest quality. Here are three of them and their most recent product.
By Marc-Antoine Bergeron
For some time now, a refreshing breeze has been flowing through Québec’s vineyards, and Les Vallons de Wadleigh is certainly a part of this new trend. Organic conversion to ephemeral micro-cuvées and increasingly natural winemaking processes are now part of the vineyard’s everyday practices.
Have you fallen for their original wines? You’ll also be delighted to rediscover their classics. And if you haven’t had the chance to explore their products, consider visiting them this summer especially on one of their musical Fridays!
Blanc à la Quatre
A delightful surprise in the vineyard’s ephemeral range. A white wine made as naturally as possible with a fairly powerful aromatic structure featuring aromas of exotic fruits and white flowers. On the palate, it’s dry, light, supple and fresh. Perfect as an aperitif on hot summer days or even to accompany lighter dishes such as salads and sushi.
Formerly known as Vignoble La Grenouille, this vineyard has been under new ownership for a little over a year. Félix and Julie left their former lives behind, in Montréal, and settled, with their children, in the peaceful environment they found in Cowansville. They quickly went to work to transform the vineyard to fit their own image. They opted for an organic conversion, replanting rustic grape varieties, adopting a philosophy focused on the production of natural wines, and they gave their labels a whole new look. These are just a few of the changes undertaken by the owners.
Baptême de feu 2021
This cuvée is made in small batches, but is well worth the outing for amateurs of maceration wines. With its beautiful copper colour, this wine offers notes of peach, apricot, pit fruits and a pleasant cotton candy aroma produced with a Somerset grape variety. It’s a very dry and brisk wine. Light in alcohol, it’s perfect as an aperitif or with marinated vegetables, charcuterie and firm cheeses.
For a few years now, we’ve known the wonderful sparkling ciders of Domaine Val-Brome. Now, the company, which has also undertaken an organic conversion, has added a splendid range of wines to its portfolio. In fact, these can already be found in many restaurants and specialty grocery shops throughout the province. Their wines are mainly based on vinifera varieties such as Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc, but also on hybrid varieties such as Seyval, Vidal and Lucy-Kuhlmann.
The place, well known to cyclists, is perfect for a relaxing pause. Plan a stop here on your next vineyard tour in the Townships, you won’t be disappointed.
Rouge 2021
A red wine blend made primarily with a Cabernet Franc vinifera grape variety and enhanced with the hybrid varieties Maréchal Foch and Lucy-Kuhlmann. On the nose, you’ll discover the Cabernet Franc’s full-bodied vegetal notes as well as beautiful notes of ripe fruit offered by the hybrid varieties. The finish is woody, tannic and supple. Perfect to accompany your meats on the BBQ this summer.
Taste the Townships
10 Vineyards that Stand Out in the Townships
Restaurants
6 of The Region’s Fine Restaurants
Nature, sports and outdoor activities
12 little known Townships’ treasures
