Canadian Wine Insider – November 2025
Quebec Wine: Canada’s Coolest Wine Region Comes of Age
By Janet Dorozynski, DipWSET
Once dismissed as a curiosity in the Canadian wine landscape, Quebec wine has quietly undergone a profound transformation over the past decade or two. Wines that were once viewed as rustic and rooted in perseverance, have transformed and now reflect a confidence, diversity and increasing finesse. Having followed this evolution closely for the past two decades, I can attest that this is not a sudden surge but a slow-burning revolution reaching full expression. Still relatively under the radar beyond provincial borders, Quebec’s wines are carving out a distinctive identity: regionally grounded, internationally intriguing, and uniquely Québécois.
The Vineyard at Domaine l’Espiègle
A Frontier Story: Vines on the Edge
Quebec’s viticultural history begins almost five hundred years ago. Jacques Cartier, upon seeing wild vitis riparia wines on the Île d’Orléans in 1535, named it Île de Bacchus in homage to the Roman god of wine. Samuel de Champlain would later attempt, and fail, to cultivate vitis vinifera vines in the 1600s, thwarted by the region’s unforgiving winters. These early experiments underscore a central theme for Quebec wine: determination in the face of climatic adversity.
The modern Quebec wine industry began in earnest in the 1980s. Domaine des Côtes d’Ardoise planted vines near Dunham in 1980 and remains the province’s oldest operating winery. The first bottles were sold in 1983, three years before artisan permits for wine production were created. What followed was a modest but determined movement of vineyard plantings throughout the 1980s and ’90s, primarily focused on hybrid varieties suited to extreme winter temperatures.
Other pioneering wineries include Vignoble de l’Orpailleur, established near Dunham in 1982, while Vignoble Isle de Bacchus opened on the l’île d’Orléans near Quebec City. Domaine La Bauge set up shop in 1986 and Vignoble Le Cep d’Argent planted vines in 1985 and opened its doors to the public in 1988.
Since then, there has been both a quantitative and qualitative leap for the Quebec wine industry. Today, with 180 wineries and over 1,200 hectares under vine, Quebec is Canada’s third largest wine region, making up one tenth of the country’s total vineyard area. Over half of all Quebec wineries have opened over the past ten years. This growth is remarkable for a region long considered too cold, too unpredictable, and too obscure for fine wine. And yet here it is, flourishing and doing so on its own terms.
Scale and Scope: Small but Ambitious
Despite the rapid growth, Quebec’s wine sector is small by volume compared to Ontario and British Columbia but larger than Nova Scotia. In 2024 production was 3.5 million litres or 4.7 million bottles with the Conseil des vins du Quebec predicting an increase to over five million litres or almost 7 million bottles by 2030. Surface wise, over seventy-five per cent of wineries have less than ten hectares of vines, with just seven per cent farming more than twenty hectares (average vineyard size is 7.7 hectares). These are not mass-produced wines but small batch, handcrafted, and often experimental expressions of place.
Small scale can breed innovation and over the past decades Quebec wineries have honed their expertise in the vineyard, cellar, and marketplace. There have also been major winery investments in viticulture, winemaking, agritourism and marketing and promotion. L’Orpailleur, Vignoble de la Bauge, and Vignoble Rivière du Chêne were early adopters of oenotourisme and are destination wineries offering a full array of experiences, from tasting rooms to restaurants, farm visits and art galleries that are drawing in a new generation of Quebec wine enthusiasts.
Benjamin Seel of Vignoble La Cantina
There has also been significant investment to develop the competitiveness of Quebec’s wine industry. The creation of the Quebec Centre of Expertise in Viticulture and Oenology at Vignoble La Cantina in the pastoral Oka Valley will facilitate research and development tailored to the needs of producers and stakeholders and provide the industry with knowledge and technological know how to be able to cope with climatic hazards and further sustainable wine growing to ultimately be more competitive in the market.
Where Can I Find Quebec Wines?
Just as most wineries are small, distribution is hyper-local. Thirty per cent of wine is sold directly at the winery, 28% through Quebec grocery stores (supermarkets and épiceries spécialisées), with another 28% via the SAQ, Quebec’s liquor monopoly. However, this year alone, sales of Quebec wine increased 56 % between March and August 2025, according to the SAQ, thanks to the shelf space freed up by removing US wines from the provincial liquor board in retaliation to tariffs imposed by the US government.
Restaurants account for a smaller but growing segment at 11%, due in large part to interest from Montreal’s locavore and natural wine scenes. Restaurants like Candide and vinvinvin have long championed local producers, while Soif Bar à Vin de Véronique Rivest in Gatineau has featured Quebec wines, ciders, and spirits since opening in 2014. According to Soif manager-sommelier Roxanne Mant “the biggest change in the past five years is that guests are seeking out Quebec wines….and are willing to try hybrids, lighter styles of reds, and something local.”
Matthieu Beauchemin of Domaine du Nival
Exposure outside of Quebec and internationally is limited but promising. Renowned sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier introduced Quebec wines from Les Pervenches, Domaine du Nival and Pinard et Filles to her New York City restaurant wine lists where she is keen to shine a light on natural wines and hybrid varieties, which abound in Quebec. Lepeltier believes that “Quebec makes some of the most interesting wines in North America today.” The chardonnays from Vignoble Camy have also made their way further afield and are available in Michelin star restaurants and the Art et Vin wine shop in Paris.
Geography and Viticultural Innovation: A Cold Climate Conundrum
Quebec’s geography is a viticultural puzzle with nine designated growing regions that span both sides of the St. Lawrance River and beyond. In addition to long distances, there are vast differences in climate and geological conditions, shaped by the inland seas of the last glacial period that were responsible for creating the agricultural lands, terraces and topography of the St. Lawrence Valley.
Most wineries are concentrated to the southeast of Montreal in the Appalachian Foothills, Appalachian Plateau, Richelieu River Valley and Monteregian Hills designated growing regions. There are also wine regions north of Montreal and south of Quebec City, where Vignoble Ste-Pétronille has been making wine in the microclimate on the Ile d’Orleans since 1988. There is even a winery on the Iles–de-la-Madeleine and a clutch of wineries across the river from Ottawa in the Outaouais, one of the province’s emerging regions.
While summers are warm and sunny, and despite an increase of 200 to 300 growing degree days (i.e. up to two weeks) since the 1980s, Quebec is still Canada’s coldest wine region. It is an extreme environment to grow grapes, and necessity has led to innovation. Quebec wineries have become global leaders in cold-climate vineyard management where deep winter freezes and capricious shoulder seasons threaten vines every year.
Contrary to widespread belief, it is not abundant snowfall that posses the main problem, as snow is an excellent insulator for vines. It is extreme cold temperatures, especially when there is little to no snow (which now occurs more often), or dramatic temperature fluctuations, which can be damaging to certain grape varieties. While some wineries continue to bury vines, along with covering them with hay and snow itself, this process is gradually being replaced by geotextiles.
The introduction of geotextile fabric coverings over vines in winter, that look like mini greenhouse tents, was championed by Yvan Quirion, owner of Domaine St-Jacques over twenty-five years ago. Commonly used in the horticultural industry to protect delicate flowers like roses, geotextiles have played a pivotal role in the evolution of Quebec viticulture. The use of these protective coverings can raise temperatures by 10°C and to work optimally, there should be snow covering the fabric, with the more the better.
According to the Conseils des vins du Quebec, just over forty-one per cent of Quebec vineyards, especially those planted to vitis vinifera, are blanketed with protective geotextile coverings every winter. It is a labour intensive and expensive way to protect vines but one which has proven effective in shielding them from lethal cold and allowing the vines the required period of dormancy.
Spring and fall frosts, like in other wine regions, can also pose problems and risks in the vineyard. Quebec winemakers employ different methods to bring warmth to the vines and soil using wine machines, spraying with water, helicopters, and traditional fire torches.
Hybrid Haven: Grapes with a Mission
Just as Quebec is distinct from the rest of Canada in terms of language, culture, and joie de vivre, so too is the array of grape varieties grown there. The Quebec grape portfolio is defined largely by cold-hardy varieties with eighty per cent of vineyards planted to cold-hardy hybrids. Many were developed at the University of Minnesota to survive temperatures falling as low as -40°C. And some varieites, like frontenac noir, blanc, and gris, la crescent, petite perle and marquette, a grand daughter of pinot noir, are making impressive sparkling and still wines.
The OG French hybrid varieties vidal and seyval blanc continue to play a significant role in Quebec viticulture. The benchmark Matière à discussion vidal from Domaine du Nival and the crisp and classic Vignoble l’Orpailleur Blanc, a blend of seyval blanc, vidal and cayuga are prime examples of their suitability to Quebec vineyards.
In Quebec, hybrids also are blended with vinifera without concern or contempt, with the ever-enjoyable Les Pervenches chardonnay seyval blanc just one notable example. Wineries also use traditional French hybrids in less than traditional ways, for example in the orange Vignoble Négondos Julep from 100 % seyval and the skin contact Vignoble de la Bauge Vidal S’assume!
Mario Plante of Vignoble Négondos
Granted the names of hybrid varieties, French or otherwise, may not roll off the tongue of the average wine drinker, they are becoming part of the Quebec wine vernacular and a crucial part of the industry’s success. And importantly, today’s Quebec wines made from hybrids are devoid of the foxy character of the past, offering intriguing, aromatic expressions in everything from still to sparkling and sweet.
Vitis vinifera nonetheless is gaining ground and accounts for twenty per cent of the province’s vineyard area. Chardonnay leads with 6% of total plantings, followed by pinot noir at 3% and riesling and pinot gris at 2%. Impressive chardonnays are coming out of Domaine L’Espiègle from owner/winemaker Zaché Hall near Dunham (who also makes sparkling, reds and a delicious cider named after his Shiba Maku – Cidre Maline Medley pour Raku) along with newcomer Domaine Inselberg, owned by the Robert family of Coteau Rougemont, who make an exciting gamay blend. Experimental pockets of other vitis vinifera exist, from albarinho to melon de Bourgogne to zweigelt, along with rarities like the native Swiss variety gamaret.
Quebec in the Glass
Quebec’s wine styles are as variable as its climate. White wines dominate production at forty-five per cent with red wines making up 29% and rose at 16%. Sparkling wine, while at just 7% of total output, is produced by almost half of all Quebec wineries and punches well above its weight, both in terms of quality and critical acclaim.
Ève Rainville and Marc Théberge of Domaine Bergeville
Pét-nat, traditional method, and Charmat method bubbles are often excellent. Some worth seeking out include the delicious and lively Domaine Bergeville 2024 Plus Petit Que, a Col Fondo style fizz (refermentation on lees in bottle ) from frontenac blanc, vidal, la crescent and geisenheim, the citrus fruit and floral En Roue Libre vidal Pét-nat from Geneviève Thisdel and the captivating aromatic traditional method Léon Courville Vigneron Muse made from saint-pépin. Quebec sparkling wine has enormous potential and I believe could be the region’s calling card, with so many displaying finesse, acid vibrancy and complexity in ways few still wines can match.
While many Quebec sparkling wines are made from white grapes, there are exciting examples from red varieties as well. Le Grand Saint Charles 2024 Far Niente Noir de Noir and Domaine Oak Hill Fontana Noir Frizzante, both traditional method from Frontenac noir, are lively light bodied juicy fizzy reds that are reminiscent of high-quality modern styles of dry Lambrusco.
Martin Laroche of Le Grand Saint Charles
Natural and low-intervention wines are also part of the Quebec landscape. Native yeasts, minimal sulfur use, regenerative agriculture, and organic certification are growing in interest and adoption. The province’s artisan-first culture and proclivity for experimentation mesh well with these philosophies. If this is your jam, then look for the Maison Agricole Joy Hill’s Rayon rosé made from equal parts blaufränkisch et Grüner Veltliner or their juicy light red Raisin Brin from gamay, blaufränkisch and chardonnay. These wines are less about following convention or conformity but about “making wines that the vintage gives them” according to Joy Hill’s co-owner Justine Therrien.
Others following the path of irreverence include Lieux Communs, four somm and hospitality guys, who started Montreal’s first garagiste urban winery. They make wine from Quebec hybrids and vinifera, from both purchased and grapes that they grow in Oka. In the case of their 2024 red blend Ours, they also use “imported” grapes from Ontario, blending Niagara vidal and gamay along with petite perle, marquette and frontenac blanc from Quebec. Domaine Polisson similarly employs mixing and mingling hybrid and vinifera varieties, both in the vineyard and bottle. And to great affect with the cheekily named red blend Bâtard made mostly from gamay and pinot noir with less than 10% of Lucie Kuhlmann and marquette.
Red blend Bâtard from Hugo Grenon of Domaine Polisson
Regarding organic production, Vignoble Négondos was Quebec’s first organic vineyard established in 1993. Co-owner and winemaker Mario Plante describes how the decision to be organic “was one of simplicity, and even laziness, and how it’s better to be lazy and get good vines.” He also views the use the geotextiles as incongruent with organic viticulture (“they are synthetic!”) preferring to use only cold resistant hybrids and hill up his vines.
Other organic producers include Domaine St. Jacques, Domaine Bergeville, Chateau des Cartes, Vignoble Sugar Hill, Le Chat Botté vignoble biologique et cidrerie, Vignoble Pigeon Hill, Le Grand Saint-Charles, Vignoble Saint-Gabriel, and Les Pervenches, which is also certified biodynamic. Vignoble de la Bauge became Canada’s first regenerative organic certified winery in 2022.
Mike Marler of Les Pervenches
Skin-contact whites (aka orange wines) are made in modest quantities along with fortified and sweet wines, together which account for 4% of total production. In addition to the wines, Quebec ciders are not to be missed. They span the gamut from still to sparking (dry to sweeter) to ice cider, that unique “made in Quebec” invention by Christian Barthomeuf of Clos Saragnat. The same goes for mead, in particular the enchanting still and sparkling meads and vermouth from Hydromel Desrochers that are among the finest I have tasted.
Defining Origin: Vin du Québec IGP
Quebec has had its own Protected Geographical Indication (PGI or IGP in French) since 2018. The Vin du Québec IGP, like the voluntary provincial VQA wine standards in Ontario and British Columbia, assures that wines bearing the designation are made entirely from Quebec-grown grapes, designated growing areas and varieties, and according to specified production and winemaking standards. Each wine must also go through a product analysis and sensory evaluation.
The system was established by the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ) and is overseen by the Le Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV). The CARTV is the provincial body that oversees all of Quebec’s protected agricultural geographical indications and has accredited Ecocert Canada as the certification body for Vins du Quebec IGP. This double verification process ensures Quebec wineries follow the specifications of the PGI and traceability of the wine from vineyard to bottle.
While some attribute the improvement in Quebec wine quality to the PGI, this is only part of the story. The introduction of wine standards has certainly played a role in raising the bar, but the real transformation stems from a new generation of winemakers whose expertise, experience, and ambition are driving the region forward. Through the improvement of viticultural practices, dialing in on promising varieties or through winemaking that is experimental or honours site expression, Quebec producers are forging an identity distinct from the rest of Canada. The result is a quiet but assured confidence that reveals itself with each vintage and in the glass.
What’s Next: Quebec’s Place in the Wine World
The strength of any wine region lies in its people, and the transformation of the Quebec wine industry is led by an eclectic, deeply committed group of wineries. Some enjoy cult followings for their low-intervention wines, some are valued for solid quality local wines at attractive price points, while others are making waves for regenerative viticulture, experimental winemaking, or for a deep connection to the land with site-driven vinifera.
Quebec wine today is not trying to be Napa, Niagara, or Burgundy, nor should it. As Vignoble La Cantina director of oenology Benjamin Seel explains, his goal is “to make balanced Quebec, or Nordic wines, wines from here….and [he] sees great vineyard potential with the same markers for chardonnay that [he] saw in Burgundy ten to fifteen years ago.” And he should know: Burgundian by birth, Seel studied winemaking in Dijon and honed his craft at the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine de Villaine in Bouzeron. He now channels that experience into making distinctively Quebec wines, including the delightful La Cantina Rosé du Calvaire, a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir, and vidal that won gold at the 2025 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada.
The true promise of Quebec wine lies in its difference from the rest of Canada, which is rooted in a proud Nordic sensibility that gives rise to fresh, vibrant, and distinctly Quebec expressions. They are at times unconventional but can also be classic, whether made from hybrids, vinifera, or a blend of both. If you have yet to explore the wines of Quebec, there has never been a better time. The revolution is no longer coming, it is here.
Wine reviews:
Domaine du Nival Matière à Discussion Vidal 2024, IGP Vin du Québec
An aromatic, complex white wine made from 100% vidal. Aged in neutral barrels, the wine exhibits an expressive nose of candied lemon, pear and floral notes and aromas. Lovely texture, medium-bodied with vibrant acidity. The finish is stony and long with a touch of attractive bitterness. Certified organic with a low alcohol of 10% ABV. Drink now or keep for up to 5 years. Tasted October 2025
Vignoble l’Orpailleur Blanc 2023, IGP Vin du Québec
A dry, fresh and light-bodied white that is a blend of seyval blanc, vidal and cayuga. Vibrant aromas of lime, white flowers and green apple, this is a crisp wine with high, balanced acidity and a refreshing medium long citrus finish. Youthful, with 11 % ABV, the wine is drinking well now though may develop further with short term aging. Food friendly and easy to sip on its own; think of it as a more interesting pinot grigio and a great local alternative. Tasted October 2025.
Les Pervenches Seyval Chardonnay 2024, IGP Vin du Québec
The 2024 Les Pervenches Seyval Chardonnay is a vibrant and harmonious blend of 85% chardonnay with 15% seyval blanc. Floral and tangy with juicy, balanced acidity and plenty of orange blossom, ripe nectarine, and orange zest aromas layered on a green apple, honey and slightly chalky palate. Well balanced with a long citrus, saline finish. The grapes are farmed biodynamically, and the wine is unfiltered with no added sulfur. Tasted July 2025.
Domaine l’Espiègle Aube à l’Est Chardonnay 2023, Product of Québec
Winemaker and owner Zaché Hall, whose winemaking training took him from Brock University to the University of Montpellier, has created a chardonnay of precision and place. While 2023 was damp and cool, a warm, dry September resulted in a wine of balance, brightness, and ripeness. Wild fermented and aged in neutral French oak and stainless steel, the wine opens with aromas of peach, nectarine and citrus that lead to a layered palate with crisp acidity and chalkiness. Medium-bodied with a long finish with subtle saline notes and a grapefruit bitterness. Unfiltered with minimal sulfur added. Drinking well now but will cellar for 5 to 10 years. Tasted July 2025.
Domaine Inselberg Gamay Gameret 2023, IGP Vin du Québec
The Domaine Inselberg 2023 Gamay-Gamaret blend is a vibrant expression of Quebec’s potential for vitis vinifera to make crunchy, light red wines. Light-bodied and irresistibly juicy, the wine delivers loads of crunchy red fruit, soft tannins and a refreshing finish that makes it a perfect solo sipper or partner for roast chicken. Tasted September 2025.
Domaine Bergeville Plus Petit Que 2024, IGP Vin du Québec
An aromatic and expressive sparkler that explodes with citrus, pineapple, pears and a touch of pleasant bitterness on the finish. Floral notes with a creamy juicy palate, the fizz is gentle and finish is long and dry. A blend of frontenac blanc, vidal, geisenheim and la crescent, this is made in the Col Fondo style (refermentation on lees in bottle). Organic, unfined and unfiltered. A vibrant thrist quencher made for drinking now. Tasted July 2025.
Geneviève Thisdel with her En Roue Libre wines
En Roue Libre Vidal Pét-nat et Nat 2024, IGP Vin du Québec
The 2024 En Roue Libre Vidal Pét-nat is a crisp, lightly sparkling natural wine with a citrus-forward profile. Unfiltered and vegan, it pours cloudy straw-gold and offers aromas and flavours of pear and crab apple with a touch of candied lemon that balances the zippy acidity. Subtle saline and yeasty notes add complexity with an almost wheat beer-like freshness and a long grapefruit finish. Low alcohol at 10.1% ABV makes it an easygoing sipper at anytime of the year. Tasted July 2025.
Léon Courville Vigneron Muse 2021, IGP Vin du Québec
Made in the traditional method with aging on the lees for 15 months, this charming sparkling wine is made from the variety saint-pépin. With very fine bubbles and a complex aromatic and flavour profile of white flowers, citrus, and yellow apples. Crisp and complex with considerable palate depth. Dry with 6g/litre residual sugar and 12% alcohol ABV. Tasted October 2025.
Le Grand Saint Charles Farniente Noir de Noir 2024, IGP Vin du Québec
The Domaine Le Grand Saint Charles Farniente Noir de Noir is a traditional method sparkling wine made from frontenac noir. Reminiscent of a dry Lambrusco, this low intervention wine has fine bubbles and a radiant deep ruby colour. The nose and palate offer layered strawberry and dark cherry aromas and flavours, with a hint of tartness and earthy funk. Very good length. At just 10% ABV, it is refreshing and light and best served with a slight chill. Perfect for red sauce pastas and pizza or for solo sipping. Tasted July 2025.
Domaine Oak Hill Fontana Noir Frizzante, IGP Vin du Québec
A traditional method sparkling wine made entirely from frontenac noir. Deeply coloured with a juicy, attractive palate of red cherries and blackberries. The tannins are soft, and the finish is long and juicy. Wild yeast fermentation, unfiltered and without added sulfur. Certified organic and biodynamic. This vibrant fizz ticks all the boxes and makes for a perfectly uncomplicated apéro wine. Tasted July 2025
Justine Therrien and Julien Niquet, Maison Agricole Joy Hill
Maison Agricole Joy Hill Raisin Brin 2024, IGP Vin du Québec
Quebec wineries are not afraid to make unconventional blends, with the Raisin Brin no exception. The 2024 is a vibrant, unfiltered red from gamay, blaufränkisch and chardonnay that are fermented separately in concrete. The red varieties undergo semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous yeasts, with the chardonnay a direct press. The resulting blend is a light, fresh red with bright acidity and aromas of tart red berries and a hint of spiciness. Best served slightly chilled, it’s great for sipping on its own or to accompany a charcuterie board or roast chicken. Tasted July 2025.
Vignoble La Cantina Rosé du Calvaire 2024, IGP Vin du Québec
I first tasted this rosé almost 10 years ago and it has been one of my favourite Quebec, and Canadian, rosés ever since. A blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and vidal, the vintage is dry and pale pink with an enticing nose of rhubarb and red fruits. Rhubarb and strawberry flavours shine on the balanced and expressive palate and are supported by crisp, refreshing acidity. The alcohol clocks in at 12 % ABV making the wine versatile and food-friendly year-round. Tasted September 2025.