There’s something really magical about a wine show that feels more like a gathering of friends than an industry event. That was my first impression walking into the Salon des Assoiffés on June 27, held in Espace Canevas, Gatineau’s oldest shopping mall turned cultural hub.
The event took place in the central hall, a perfect space that felt warm and intimate. Surrounded by a make-shift wall of greenery and lit overhead by string lights, the venue set the tone for an event grounded in supporting the local community, the local environment and local products.
This annual wine show is organized by somms Véronique Rivest and Roxanne Mant, who every year bring together their favourite Quebec wine producers and importers from their restaurant, Soif, and their wine bar, La Petite Soif. This wasn’t just a lineup of Quebec wine agents. Instead it felt like an intimate network of good friends inviting you into their world, sharing their very palpable passion for wines from Quebec and beyond.
Finding Focus
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from larger-scale tastings like Wine Paris, it’s this: without a clear focus, overwhelm is inevitable.
So this time I came in with a plan.
It had been a while since I’d explored wines from Quebec, and I wanted to take stock and get a sense of how the wines have evolved. And I was impressed by the diversity I discovered.
There isn’t just one style here. There is a perfect mix of vitis vinifera classic grape varieties and cold-climate hybrid grapes. Grape growing spans traditional, sustainable, organic or biodynamic approaches, while winemaking is just as varied, resulting in wines ranging from classical and conventional to weird and wonderful. With such diversity, there truly is a Quebec wine for everyone.
For the Traditionalists
For those who gravitate toward more classic expressions, there are several producers whose wines fit the bill.
Domaine St-Jacques
Established in 2007 and located south of Montreal—one of the province’s warmest viticultural zones—Domaine St-Jacques offers its take on the classics.
I tasted a wide selection of their wines, including a traditional-method sparkling (the Extra Brut Nature is truly delicious), a pinot gris, a pinot noir, a gamay, a super food-friendly orange wine and a fabulous cabernet franc/syrah blend.
All organically farmed and family-run, the estate leans heavily on vinifera plantings while incorporating some hybrids. The whole selection I tasted demonstrated just how well classic varieties can perform in Quebec under the right conditions.
Many of their wines are available at the SAQ or you can order directly from their website (delivery available with a minimum purchase of 12 bottles).
Domaine Polisson
Using fruit sourced from Oka, Domaine Polisson’s “Bâtard” series blends tradition with sustainability. Former geologist Hugo Grenon always dreamed of becoming a winemaker, and released his first vintage in 2021. Using a minimalist and natural approach, he adds nothing extra to the wines, letting the grapes and terroirTerroir is essentially the geographical, environmental and climatic elements of grape-growing (that allow the same grape grown in two different places to make two completely distinct wines). Here is a non-exhaustive... More speak for themselves.
The Bâtard Blanc is primarily chardonnay with a few hybrids blended in to add different characteristics, while the Bâtard Rouge is a gamay/pinot noir blend. Both available at the SAQ, these wines are decidedly food friendly with their bright acidityAcidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate.... More and easy drinkability.
Hybrid Grapes and Quebec Wine Identity
While some winemakers are blessed with cooperative climates, others are growing grapes in notoriously difficult conditions. Hybrid grapes were primarily developed to withstand extreme temperatures, drought and disease. Since Quebec is a cold-climate wine region with extreme temperatures in both winter and summer, many Quebec producers have embraced these varieties, planting grapes such as vidal, seyval blanc, marquette, Frontenac (blanc, gris and noir), maréchal foch, baco noir, petite pearl, as well as lesser-known hybrids such as St. Pépin (white) and Lucie Kuhlmann (red). You can read more about the use of hybrids in Eastern Canada in this fascinating article by Jacky Blisson, MW.
Here are some wineries primarily using hybrid grapes.
Maison Lafont
Under the direction of winemaker Isabelle Lafont, this Mont Yamaska-based estate embraces viticulture raisonnée, a sustainable, thoughtful approach to farming.
Here, hybrid grapes are the star of the show. Maison Lafont‘s wines reflect a sense of place that feels distinctly Québécois—less about mimicking Old World benchmarks, and more about defining something new.
Oak Hill
Located in Melbourne in the Eastern Townships, Oak Hill Vineyard was inspired by a trip to Italy. After falling in love with the natural wines there, Louise and Sylvain Lalonde returned with a simple thought: we could do this. What followed, of course, was the realization that despite the tagline of “minimal intervention”, natural wine is still a heck of a lot of work!
But as it turns out, it’s well worth it: Oak Hill’s wines are energetic, expressive, and delightfully unique.
Other Great Quebec Wineries to Check Out
En roue libre
Low-intervention organic wines made by Geneviève Thisdel in the Eastern Townships. I was able to taste the last vintage before she joins forces with…
Domaine du Nival
Organic wines and ciders by Matthieu Beauchemin pushing the boundaries in the Montérégie region.
Domaine de l’Heure Juste
Brand new winery crafting impressive natural wines in Papineauville, west of Montebello.
L’Espiègle
Fantastic sustainable, low-intervention wines that act as expressions of the land in Dunham, Eastern Townships (sidenote: I watched Véronique Rivest do a happy dance as she tasted their traditional-method bubbly).
Domaine Le Grand St. Charles
Organic wines and ciders made at the foot of Mont Yamaska.
A Few Delicious Distractions
Of course, even with the best intentions, I can easily be distracted from my goal.
A few non-Quebec wines inevitably found their way into my glass. Here are a couple of the standouts:
And completely unrelated but just as appreciated, this amazing salmon tartare from La Gaspésienne. Wine tasting really works up the appetite!
Final Thoughts: Time for a Quebec Wine Road Trip
If this tasting made one thing clear, it’s that Quebec is making a serious name for itself in the winemaking world while keeping environmental sustainability top of mind. It was truly a pleasure to meet with the people behind some of these wines. Their passion is contagious and I think I may have caught the bug!
The next logical step? Head to the source. Visit the vineyards. Taste the wines where they’re made.
Because if the Salon des Assoiffés is any indication, Quebec’s wine story is still unfolding, and it’s one well worth following.
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If you are in the Ottawa area and want to try these wines, head to Soif or La Petite Soif in Gatineau for a truly extraordinary wine experience.
Lastly, a big thank you to Véronique and Roxanne for the invitation to this incredible event!
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