Sugaring off time!
Sugar shacks all across this great province of ours serve up generous meals where maple is front and centre. Some are traditional, while others are more sophisticated—there are even vegetarian ones, too! Here are 10 great spots to check out to make the most of this spring tradition, whatever your taste.
Homegrown discoveries → celebrating local flavours
Inspiring
interviews
Discover the expertise and dynamism of local producers and learn more about their journeys often filled with surprising anecdotes.
At Cirka Distilleries, located in the Côte-Saint-Paul district of Montreal, Isabelle Rochette works the stills to bottle the enchanting flavour of Quebec barley, rye and corn. We had the opportunity to talk to her about her great passion for whisky.
Interview with the viticulture pioneer of Québec. Christian Barthomeuf could have been a photographer, mechanic, producer, or even a goose breeder.
Terroir
profiles
Meet passionate local artisan producers who proudly offer us the best of la Belle Province’s terroir.
Beyond syrup, maple-based liqueurs, wines, cream beverages and other spirits derived from the famous tree have become the delight of mixologists and adventurous amateurs alike.
Have you heard of Acerum? In this edition of Fresh, we’re looking at this newcomer on the fine spirits scene—an eau-de-vie made from the fermentation and distillation of maple sap.
Local know-how
After years spent patiently honing their craft, local winemakers, cider makers, distillers and other alcoholic beverage producers learned to instill their diverse heritage into delicious products.
Did you know that rum was already being distilled here in Quebec when it was known as New France? Clearly, the modern history of Quebec rums is much more recent, but its star is on the rise. Here’s a look at a trend that’s about to take off.
Long considered inhospitable to quality red wine production, the province managed to prove wrong many of its critics over the past few years. The progress is the result of colossal work from our Quebec growers in choosing the varietals for the best terroirs, but also of a better understanding of the reality of our climate.
Everyone has their own taste. So, there are as many different tastes as there are ways to express them. Among the large selection of products identified Origine Québec, Made in Québec and Bottled in Québec, there’s something for everyone, just like these blind tastings will show.
SAQ shelves are lined with more than 150 wines and spirits produced abroad and bottled here, a process that has a positive impact on the environment and workforce in the province.
Articles about Quebec products
What do you drink with a hearty bowl of pea soup or some mouth-watering maple ham? We asked Marie-Hélène, a sommelier with both a sweet tooth and a refined palate, to enjoy some good eats at a BYOW sugar shack so she could suggest the best pairings. Here’s what she discovered.
Have you heard of Acerum? In this edition of Fresh, we’re looking at this newcomer on the fine spirits scene—an eau-de-vie made from the fermentation and distillation of maple sap.
Filles du Nord is a collective of women who are passionate about the great outdoors, not to mention some of the most intrepid adventurers we know. Whatever the season, they criss-cross their beloved Quebec in search of natural beauty and local treasures. We spoke to the two co-founders, experts in the art of combining chilly weather and chilled drinks!
Sugar shacks all across this great province of ours serve up generous meals where maple is front and centre. Some are traditional, while others are more sophisticated—there are even vegetarian ones, too! Here are 10 great spots to check out to make the most of this spring tradition, whatever your taste.
At Cirka Distilleries, located in the Côte-Saint-Paul district of Montreal, Isabelle Rochette works the stills to bottle the enchanting flavour of Quebec barley, rye and corn. We had the opportunity to talk to her about her great passion for whisky.
A few kilometres past Dunham and its lovely stone houses, you can’t help but notice a hundred-year-old red barn beckoning you to turn left. Here, nestled in the Appalachian foothills, is where you’ll find the Val Caudalies vineyard.
Estrie, just 5 minutes away from Sherbrooke, is where Marco Corbin and his family combine their love of wine with their flair for hosting to create the star products at La Halte des Pèlerins vineyard, which include Le Prestige and Le Voyageur. Here’s my visit to this fascinating urban winery.
Located at the foot of Mont Yamaska, right on the border of Montérégie and Estrie, Les Petits Cailloux winery has panoramic landscapes that’ll take your breath away. This charming little spot in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford is where Martin Lavertu and Françoise Goudreau grow their grapes and showcase their various products.
Just 30 minutes from Montreal, in the Montérégie region, a shape stands out from the horizon—Mont Rougemont. On entering the town of the same name, having driven along winding roads lined with vines and apple trees, you see a sign at the side of the road: Welcome to Domaine Cartier-Potelle.
In southern Quebec, just a few kilometres from the U.S. border, a stand of maple trees opens onto rows of vines. It’s here in Havelock that Line and Jean Joly founded Vignoble du Marathonien, where they make one of Canada’s top ice wines.
In the heart of Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford, a charming village in Montérégie, David Guertin and his associates at Les Artisans du Terroir work tirelessly to create authentically Quebec wines, including Prémices Blanc, their most popular vintage.
When you arrive on Île d’Orléans, take a left at the first intersection and you’ll reach Cassis Monna et Filles in no time. Anne Monna, one of the sister-owners, welcomes me like an old friend. “We’re girls who love to celebrate and host parties. We created a place that reflects who we are.”