The first licensees to operate vineyards in Québec were issued in the mid-1980s. Today, the five original winegrowers are joined by more provincial winemakers thriving on challenges. Recently Québec vintners sold 250,000 bottles of their hardy wines in one year. With a production last year of 70,000 bottles, l'Orpailleur is by far the market leader.
At a 1992 international competition held in Montreal, the vineyard was
awarded a bronze medal for dry white wine, a first for any Québec wine.
"L'orpailleur" means "the gold-panner" and in Québec where Arctic-like winters can bring bone-chilling temperatures as low as -30C along with several feet of snow, any effort to grow wine grapes commercially seems as unlikely to produce results as sifting dirt for riches. Despite the risks, "les vignerons québecois" have learned how to fend off the cold and produce attractive table wines. Their efforts have also produced an unusual twist to local tourism.
Most of the wineries in Quebec are small and can be found south of Montréal close to the border above Vermont. The wines are usually available only at the vineyard itself. Visiting the wineries can be interesting as they include maple sugar, jams, crafts and other products to compliment their income.
Since the French language is prominent in Quebec and information is difficult to obtain We have done our best to place the wineries within six regions according to Association des Vignerons of Quebec.
The Quebec Winegrowers Associations has been trying to normalize issues of quality since 2009, with the creation of the "vin du Quebec" certification. It involves 13 taste-checks and standards for every aspect of wine production, from planting to fermentation.