They are certified organic by Écocert. Veronique is very modest in showing off the excellent selection of wines offered. Michael
went to Mike McGill University, majoring
in farming. While at the University he went
abroad to study agriculture at Superior
Purpan School of Agriculture in the South
of France. It was here that Michael’s passion
for wine developed. You might say Veronique is the marketing and finance part of
this team as she got her MBA at HEC Montreal and then worked at Nortel before the
couple started their winery. Although Les
Pervenches makes both reds and whites,
the primary focus is Chardonnay. They
are one of the only producers utilizing this
varietal in the Eastern Townships.
Our second stop was at the oldest
winery in the Eastern Townships, Vignoble
Domaine des Côtes d’Arboise in the Dunham region. Established in 1980, this is the
perfect spot for a picnic because not only are
you in the vineyards, you are also in a sculpture garden. This picturesque spot is an ideal
environment in which to enjoy the wines
while basking in the sun and picnicking. The
winery’s portfolio is a combination of hybrid
and vinifera wines as well as cider.
Moving on, our adventure took us to
Union Libre in Dunham. The cider and
wine producing facility was established in
2010 and encompasses a 30-hectare estate. Cider is very popular in Canada and
is created either by heat or ice hence the
names fire cider or ice cider. The fire cider
uses Empire and Spartan apples. Sparkling
cider uses MacIntosh, Cortland, Empire and
Spartan apples. The ice wine is made from
red delicious apples. A tour at Union Libre
includes making a cider cocktail known as
Mount Royale Cocktail.
Our next stop was Domaine Pinnacle,
a family-owned cidery and orchard. This
property, purchased in 2000, abuts the
United States and affords a magnificent
view. Domaine Pinnacle is considered the
highest elevation orchard. The property
encompasses 400 acres of which about 35%
is planted. The orchards are situated on the
south-facing slopes of Mount Pinnacle. The
cidery uses all those apples that drop from
the trees.
Domaine Pinnacle is known for its Ice
Apple Wine, which is considered one of
their signature products. It also creates
sparkling cider, still cider, and sparkling
ice cider. Unique to the cidery is Domaine
Sculpture Garden at Vignoble Domaine des Côtes d’Ardoise