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The Joy of Discovering New Wines!

Published on Jan 27, 2021

To enhance your evenings this season, we’re presenting you some suggestions that will definitely delight you, one sip at a time!

By Marc-Antoine Bergeron


Le Blanc Brut 2019 — Domaine Bergeville

The only vineyard in Quebec to produce organic sparkling wines, Domaine Bergeville offers several cuvées that will surely please amateurs of sparkling wine. Le Blanc Brut  2019 is aged on lees for 12 months giving it more length on the palate. On the nose, we detect notes of white flowers, peaches, yellow apples, pears and honey. On the palate, the bubbles are very persistent and we discover a touch of minerality with a Bergeville signature. Its acidity is clearly present and sharp, and its sugar level is rather low for a cuvée “brut”. Overall, it’s a very well-balanced sparkling wine.

To pair with oysters or crispy hors d’oeuvres. 

  • Price: $30
  • Available at the vineyard, the SAQ and in certain restaurants and fine grocery stores throughout Quebec.

Entre 2019 — La Belle Alliance Vineyard

Feel like savouring an orange wine? Then you should try La Belle Alliance vineyard’s cuvée Entre 2017. This magnificent wine is elaborated with the best Frontenac parcels of the domain. The result of a late harvest and macerated for about 18 days, this wine offers an intense colour and a strong, quite uncommon aromatic profile with notes of ginger, mandarin and candy cane. On the palate, you’ll enjoy a velvety texture with a vivacious acidity to create a fine balance. For many sommeliers, myself included, it is THE choice Quebec produced wine of the year!

To pair with such rich and spicy foods such as Asian, Indian or Moroccan dishes.

  • Price: $30
  • Available at the vineyard and in some restaurants and fine grocery stores in the region.

Évolution rouge 2017 — Vignoble La Bauge

Produced by the masterful Simon Naud, this red cuvée of the vineyard’s Évolution wine series will please many amateurs, including those with finickier palates! Évolution rouge 2017 is elaborated with Frontenac noir grapes having gone through a carbonic maceration -a technique primarily used for producing Beaujolais wine—producing an enormous amount of fruit aromas and freshness. It’s then aged in oak barrels and assembled with other grape varieties to give the wine its structure and complexity. The formula is innovative, and somewhat of a trendsetter for Quebec wines. I love it!

To be paired with a platter of cheeses and charcuteries or locally produced game terrines.

  • Price: $21
  • Available at the vineyard, the SAQ and in certain fine grocery stores.

Autour de la glace — Cidrerie Autour de la pomme

Here, I especially like how they elaborate their ciders! Jean-Philippe Robert, the genius behind this Shefford enterprise, selects lesser-known apple varieties (Belmac, Liberté and Rainette Russet) primarily for their great immunity against diseases, thus allowing him to avoid using synthetic chemical products for developing his products.

The result of a blend of old vintages, the Autour de la glace cider offers aromas reminiscent of maple wood, apple crumple, apple compote and spices. It has a fine freshness and a slightly lower sugar level than traditional ice ciders.

To pair with strong cheeses or fruit and nutty desserts such as baklava. This ice cider is also excellent on its own!

  • Price: $15$ (200 ml) or $22 (375 ml)
  • Available at the cidery and in some fine grocery stores.

Marc-Antoine Bergeron

A native resident and true lover of the Eastern Townships, Marc-Antoine has worked in the region’s restaurant business for more than twenty years. His love of the trade has inspired him to perfect his knowledge in sommellerie. Indeed, acquiring a wine expertise has been his passion for several years now, and even prompted him to enter and win the “Battle of the somm 2019” contest. Today, the wine and spirits field has become a full-time occupation for Marc-Antoine. Whether for restaurant businesses or for private sommelier services, he loves to share his knowledge and have people discover new wines. Follow him through his column to learn more about this fascinating world as you learn more about our fabulous local products and producers!
Marc-Antoine's website

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