Nature's Garden Naturally: Traveling the Wine Trail of Quebec's Eastern Townships

This past Saturday, the weather was pleasantly cool and sunny which turned out to be a perfect day for Dave and I to explore a sampling of orchards and vineyards along the La Route des Vins. We crossed over the border in Northern Vermont in Richford, a small crossing with no worries of long lines. Once in Quebec, we traveled a short distance along Chemin Richford to our first stop in Frelighsburg, a picturesque village of art galleries and historic sites. Clos Saragnat, is a certified organic farm and the place to go for authentic ice cider, made by the original creator of this now popular drink. The property was purchased in 2002 by Christian Barthemeuf and Louise Dupuis and was restored from a neglected orchard to its current 86 acre productive certified organic orchard and vineyard.

Christian Barthemeuf, a native of France, settled in Quebec about 35 years ago. In 1980 he planted the first grape vineyard in Dunham, Quebec, now the center of the wine route. Wanting to produce something unique and conducive to Quebec's climate, he experimented and created the first bottle of ice cider in 1989. From that small beginning, the popularity of ice cider has grown and is now recognized throughout the world. At Clos Saragnat, the apple varieties have been selected to hold the apples on the tree even after temperatures dip below freezing. Once frozen, the apples are picked and pressed immediately while still frozen. The result is a dark and naturally sweet authentic ice cider.

Cider-making facility and Clos Saragnat

It took only a small sip to win us over and to realize that we were tasting something special and unique.

Our next stop was Val Caudalies which is on the way to Dunham, another quaint village with historical buildings and a winery, Clos Ste-Croix, located right in the center of town. Val Caudalies Vignoble sits atop a hill with fantastic views of the Green Mountains.

It is a great spot to just stroll through the orchard or to sit with a picnic lunch and enjoy the view.

Jay Peak in the Distance

Not too far up the road, we visited the area's first established vineyard, Vignoble Domaine de Cotes D' Ardoise, which was, in fact, planted by Christian Barthemeuf, and is where the first ice

cider was created. In addition to wine tasting, this vineyard has a full service cafe and picnic tables scattered throughout the grounds. The highlight of this stop, though, is its display of 250 sculptures, located both inside and throughout the grounds. One could easily plan on spending several hours here strolling and admiring the art.


From Flowers to Artwork, the Domaine des Cotes D'Ardoise Vineyard is a Photographers Dream

I'm not sure what kind of bird this is, but he was enjoying the field of flowers and herbs that had gone to seed

And artwork wasn't restricted to the sculpture garden at the winery. Further up the road in the town of Stanbridge East, the Antiquites Au Fil du Temps had their own artistic displays outside.

Since there are many more vineyards in this region than can be visited in a day, we had to narrow our selections. One which made the list was Vignoble La Grenouille in Cowansville, because...well, just because I liked the name and logo. Thankfully, for the Tourist Guide and map of the Brome Missiquoi area, we were able to find this winery. It is a bit off the beaten path, but it is definitely worth a visit. The wines here are light, refreshing and fun and are all named "Frog" in one language or another.

In contrast to the small Vignoble La Grenoville, our final stop was at a large farm and tasting center. Driving up the driveway to the Vignoble Domaine Bresee in Sutton you are first greeted by horses. The farm was adorned for fall and even had a pumpkin patch with pumpkins ready to be taken home to be made into jack-o-lanterns. Inside the store, the long bar was filled with customers talking and enjoying their tastings. In addition to wine, the shop also sells locally raised meats, honey and various condiments.