Taste Camp: The Wine Industry of Quebec (Part 2)

Vinifera are also important at Vignoble Les Pervenches. The vineyard was established in 1991, but the current owners, Michael Marler and Véronique Hupin, purchased it in 2000. The vineyard consists of three hectares, certified organic, and they grow hybrids and vinifera, though since 2003, they have only planted vinifera grapes. Their most planted grape is Chardonnay, and they possess some which is 22 years old. You'll also find grapes like Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Marechal Foch, Seyval Blanc, and Frontenac. They plan on planting some Pinot Gris this year, planting a few rows to see how it does.

Michael, pictured above, informed us that for the last five years, they have been practicing Biodynamic viticulture though they are currently not Demeter certified. Their issue right now that that they have made some changes to their viticulture, due to difficulties with the laborious practice of stirring the waters for their Biodynamic preparations. To Michael, the only way to assess the efficacy of Biodynamics is to do it and check the results. He is still unsure if his results are due to Biodynamics or simply from being a conscientious farmer.

The winery produces about 15,000 bottles annually, with small increases each year. The cold, like for all of Quebec, is an issue and they cover their vinifera grapes with cloths to protect them, though that can also lead to mice and rabbits sometimes taking residence under the cloths.

We got to taste one of their recently released wines as well as a number of barrel samples. Their whites were definitely my favorites, especially their Seyval Blanc and Chardonnay wines. The 2012 Seyval Blanc & Chardonnay blend ($17) was bottled only 2 weeks ago. The blend consists of 85% Seyval and 15% Chardonnay, was barrel fermented and they used natural yeast. It had a clean, crisp, fruity taste, some delicious pear and apple. Based on my tastings, I think their concentration on white wines is a very good idea and I would recommend you check out their wines.

One of the most beautiful properties we visited was at L’Orpailleur, where we met founding member Charles-Henri de Coussergues. As I stated yesterday, they are now the largest winery in Quebec, producing around 160,000 bottles per year.

Their biggest challenge is to pass safely through the Quebec winters and pruning is a very important aspect in that regard. They conduct 3 main types of pruning, and each grape type has its preferred method of pruning. For example, Chardonnay has a more complicated pruning. They also practice hilling, putting sand or dirt over some of the vines as protection. Their oldest grapes are hybrids, sich as Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Marechal Foch while their newer grapes include Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer.

We started our visit with some bubbly, the NV Orpailleur Brut ($26), and several writers even got to saber open some bottles, using the blade pictured above. They first started producing this sparkling wine back in 1992, beginning with 2000 bottles, and they use the traditional Champagne method. The Brut is made from 100% Seyval Blanc, is aged for about 2 years and has an alcohol content of 11.5%. I was impressed with this Brut, which was crisp, clean and dry, possessed of some subtle and pleasant apple and melon notes. A hearty recommendation for this bubbly.

The winery also produced one of my favorite wines of the trip, the 2010 Cuvee Natashquan ($25), which is also made from 100% Seyval Blanc. It spends a year in French oak, 30% which are new, and it possessed an intriguing complexity, as well as a rich, savory mouth feel and nice citrus tastes. Each sip impressed and I seemed to find something else within it to enjoy. This may be made from a hybrid, but you wouldn't know it from the taste. You would just taste a delicious and compelling wine. Highly recommended.

At L’Orpailleur, after lunch, we had a tasting of wines from a number of other nearby wineries, and I wanted to highlight a few of my favorites.

The 2012 Val Caudalies Rosé ($17.50), a blend of Chambourcin, De Chaunac, Marshal Foch and Lucy Kuhlman, was crisp and dry, with subtle red fruit flavors that brought to mind a Provence Rosé. An excellent summer wine, as well as something that would be delicious year round. Their 2012 Vidal ($16.75) was very aromatic, with citrus, peach and floral notes. Another nice summer wine, something to sip on the front porch, in the backyard or at the beach.

Vignoble Gagliano made a delicious 2012 Frontenac Gris ($18) which had a complex melange of taste, with notes of honey, apricot, and lychee. It was crisp and smooth, with a very pleasing finish. Their 2011 Frontenac Noir ($25) was one of my favorite red wines, with rich red and black fruit flavors, hints of spice and a smooth, lingering finish.

The 2009 Domaine Les Brome Reserve Vidal ($24.50) was intriguing, with delicious citrus, peach, white flower and a backbone of minerality.

White hybrids and ice wine also impressed me at Vignoble Le Marathonien, which is owned by Jean Joly which ran some marathons when he was younger, hence the winery name.

Jean Joly, pictured above, led us on a tour of his 2 hectares of vineyards, which have a very stony soil that provide excellent drainage, and the rocks also maintain heat. The vineyard started in 1989, growing only hybrids, but they now grow a few vinifera, like Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

There are several goats on the property, and the baby goats were especially cute. They serve no larger purpose on the vineyard but they do make for a fascinating attraction for visitors.

The winery produces about 12K-15K bottles annually, including some compelling ice wines.

The NV Seyval Blanc ($12) is 100% Seyval Blanc, a blend of 80% from the 2011 vintage and 20% from the 2012 vintage. It was fresh, clean and crisp with bright fruit. Simple but not one-dimensional. An excellent value wine, pleasant enough to drink on its own or a nice accompaniment with food. The 2009 Boise d'Havelock ($13) is also 100% Seyval Blanc but is undergoes 6-8 months of oak aging. It had a richer, more complex taste and I found it very appealing. Of these two wines, each has their place, and it depends on your mood at the moment which you would prefer.

The 2011 Late Harvest ($28), made from Vidal, was delicious, with a pleasant sweetness, balanced by acidity, and flavors of honey, apricot and citrus. The most impressive wine though was their Ice Wine ($50), also made from Vidal. In 1994, they were the the first ice wine producer in Quebec. This ice wine had a bright golden color, and an alluring aroma of honey, flowers and dried fruit. Its richness caressed the tongue, yet possessed sufficient acidity to prevent it from being too cloying. A lengthy, satisfying finish helped to elevate this wine to the top of the charts. A killer wine and highly recommended.

Taste Camp: The Wine Industry of Quebec (Part 1)

Exploring emerging wine regions is always a fascinating endeavor even if their wines are not readily available outside of that region. It is an educational experience that can reflect the realities faced by many other emerging regions. It is also fascinating to witness the early growth of a wine region, to be one of the first to see their potential. During TasteCamp, our three-day exploration of the wines, beer and food of Quebec, we encountered one of these emerging regions, which has an approximately thirty year history, and an even shorter history with vinifera grapes.

Quebec's first winery, established in 1981, was Côtes d’Ardoise and it is still in existence. In 1982, the L’Orpailleur vineyard and winery was founded by four men, two from France and two from Quebec. These men purchased a 20-hectare farm not far from Côtes d’Ardoise and their winery is now the largest in Quebec, producing over 160,000 bottles of wine annually. Currently, there are over 100 wineries in Quebec, though there appears to be some contradictory information online, with a few sources claiming that there are only around 50 or so wineries. Nonetheless, Quebec has a small wine industry which continues to grow each year.

One of the biggest challenges facing Quebec wineries is the cold weather. It makes it difficult to grow vinifera grapes, and the frost can decimate much of your vineyard. If you lose 50% of your crop or more in a given year, that certainly makes it more difficult to turn a profit. That risk tends to lead to higher prices for vinifera wines, which can make them less of a value. Hybrid grapes, which can be much hardier, generally grow better in this climate yet some feel they don't possess a sufficient cachet, and won't put Quebec on a competitive level with the rest of the world. There is some validity to that argument as a significant number of wine lovers seem to have a prejudice against wines made from hybrid grapes. They shouldn't possess that prejudice, but we cannot deny it exists. If vinifera grapes don't grow well though, what should the wineries do?

This division of opinion as to what grapes should be planted in Quebec seems to extend to a greater division over many other issues. There are two winery organizations in Quebec, the older Association des Vignerons du Québec (AVQ) and the newer Vignerons Indépendants du Québec (VIQ). For a small wine industry, to have two such organizations working at cross purposes, may not be beneficial. At TasteCamp, we heard little about these organizations though we did hear about some of the differing opinions of winery owners and winemakers. These organizations should work together to benefit the entire Quebec wine industry, helping its growth.

Based on my own tasting experiences with the wines of Quebec, I felt that, in general, the white wines and ice wines were of better quality than the red wines. Some of my favorite wines were also made from hybrid grapes. None of that means they cannot make good red wines in Quebec, but I think it is going to take more time and experimentation to increase the overall quality of the reds. Due to the risks of the weather, price is going to be an important factor, meaning you might not find many value vinifera wines. One finds much passion in the winery owners and wine makers, pioneers who are working hard to produce wine in a less than ideal climate. Improvements in the Quebec wine industry will continue to come.

Located along the St. Lawrence River, our first winery visit was to Vignobles Carone, owned by Anthony Carone. The winery was established in 1997 by Anthony's father and originally grew only hybrid grapes, as that was all that was available. However, his father wanted to experiment with vinifera and starting bringing home grape vines from Italy in his luggage. Would you have ever imagined that anyone in Quebec would grow Italian grapes like Sangiovese and Nebbiolo?

Anthony, pictured above, has been following in his father's footsteps. The vineyard consists of 8 hectares which are broken into 3 lots and possesses 25-30K vines. Though they still grow some hybrids, such as Marquette and Frotenac, they have been slowly, taking baby steps, replacing their hybrids with vinifera such as Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, and Sangiovese. In addition, Anthony has chosen to only produce red wines and his annual production is roughly 25K liters.

On his blog, Anthony has stated the reason for why he embraces vinifera. "I have always been an advocate that nature will always do a better job of creating new grape varieties than man. Hybrids are a creation of man and while useful in allowing the range of viticulture to be extended where natural varieties might not succeed, by definition this does not produce great wine." He also believes that "Hybrids are like Gerber’s baby food. It was fine for a while, but now the consumer wants and expects more."

Anthony keeps the vinifera vines low to the ground to provide them better protection from frost damage though that is not always successful. This year, they were devastated by a terrible black frost, which was worse than anything else they had sustained previously. There were two weeks of extremely hot temperatures which caused everything to bud early. Then the black frost arrived and Anthony lost 50-75% of his grapes, including about 75% of his Pinot Noir. How do you continue after such a catastrophic loss? For Anthony though, there was no question. He would continue, no matter how deep the loss. He has chosen a formidable challenge and his passion drives him despite adversity.

About 75%-85% of the vineyard operations, like pruning, are mechanized and Anthony owns a number of specialized tractors.

Anthony owns a two ton hydraulic press, which was originally designed for ice wine though works with red wines too. He uses both French and American oak barrels, usually a year old, and rotates them every three years. To produce white wines, Anthony would need different equipment, and he thinks reds are more interesting anyways.

I tasted four of the Carone wines and overall they were good, though I didn't find any of them especially impressive. They show promise and it would be interesting to see how the winery develops during the next five years.

The NV Rosso Classico ($18), a blend of Frontenac, Landot Noir, Landal Noir, and Cabernet Severyni, spent about three months in new American oak and has an alcohol content of 12.5%. This wine accounts for about 20% of their production and was a creation of Anthony's father. It was fruity and pleasant, though a bit simple, with a nice element of herbs and spice on the finish and hints of oak. An easy drinking wine, this would be a good burger or pizza wine.

The 2011 Venice Cabernet Severyni ($24), a blend of 90% Cabernet Severyni and 10% Frontenac, has an alcohol content of 13%. Anthony's father planted the Severyni because it reminded him of Barolo. This wine had some volatile acidity and tasted a bit unripe, a strong green aspect to it. The aroma seemed a bit chemical though the taste had more raspberry and spice notes. I would like to have tasted some other vintages to see if this wine was more an exception or not.

The 2010 Venice Pinot Noir ($35), a blend off 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Landot Noir, has an alcohol content of 12.5%. Anthony was the first producer of Pinot Noir in Quebec and loves growing the grape because it is such a challenge. In 2010, he produced about 2500 bottles. He blends in other grapes for more complexity, a greater bouquet and greater fruitiness. I found thus wine to have an interesting nose of herbs and spice, and on the palate those remained prominent, though nice red fruit tastes also came though. It was smooth and pleasant, with moderate complexity. If this were less expensive, I would more strongly recommend it.

The 2009 Double Barrel ($55), a blend of 92% Cabernet Severyni and 8% Sangiovese, has an alcohol content of 14.5% and only 1000 bottles were produced. A special yeast, imported from Italy, is used in fermentation. Its oak aging is more unique in that the wine is first aged in American oak for a year and then it is transferred into French oak for another four months. This wine avoided the negative aspects of the Venice Severyni, and presented lots of compelling fruit flavors up front with spicy edge on its finish. Its tannins were mild and the finish was relatively long and pleasant. This was a good wine, but I think it is pricey for what it delivers compared to similarly priced wines.

To Be Continued...

Boyden Valley Winery

Prior to attending the Boston Wine Expo, I knew that one of the booths I had to visit belonged to the Boyden Valley Winery, located in Vermont. Boyden was my Favorite Vermont Winery of 2009 and their Vermont Ice Red was on my list of 2009 Top Ten Wines Over $50.

I wanted another taste of their Vermont Ice Red, as well as to see what else they might be pouring. Besides enjoying once again the Ice Red, I also got to taste their Vermont Ice Cider and new Vermont Ice Apple Creme.

Their Vermont Ice Cider is made from only Vermont grown apples, including Northern Spy, Macintosh, and Empire. It actually takes over 400 gallons of cider to make one 60 gallon barrel of ice cider. The ice cider is fermented in stainless steel, aged in French oak for about six months and has an alcohol content of about 12%. The ice cider is sweet, though not cloyingly so, and has a prominent crisp, apple flavor. It is a very pleasant drink, just right for a New England winter day, and would also pair well with cheese as well as some fruit-based desserts, including apple pie.

The Vermont Ice Apple Creme was a surprising delight. It is made from Vermont Ice Cider, apple brandy and cream. It also has a higher alcohol content at 15%, though you would not notice that in the taste. It is lighter and more delicate than other cream liqueurs, reminding me a bit of a thinner version of egg nog, but with apple flavors. The creaminess combined well with the apple flavors, and the sweetness was once again under control, and did not overwhelm. Though it can be enjoyed on its own, I think it might also make for an interesting sauce, maybe drizzled over ice cream or an apple pie.

Once again, Boyden Valley Winery has impressed me. I really like the fact they grow their own grapes, and use local Vermont apples. You should give their wines a try, or even visit their winery. I may try to visit there in the spring.

Vermont: Boyden Valley Winery

Of all the wineries I checked out at the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, one stood out above the others and impressed me, Boyden Valley Winery. First, they had some delicious wines, made from grapes grown in Vermont. Second, I also got to speak with Linda Boyden, who owns the winery with her husband, Dave. Linda evidenced much passion about wine and that appealed to me as well.

The Boyden Farm is located in the Lamoille River Valley and has been family owned for four generations. The winery is inside a restored 1825 carriage barn and their vineyard has about 8000 grapevines. You can even visit and take a tour of their winery. They produce fruit wines, grape wines, dessert wines, specialty wines and hard ciders. Their aim is to produce European-style wines.

I primarily tasted their grape wines, produced from hybrids, and they all were good. And one was even exceptional.

The 2007 Seyval Blanc ($14.99) had an enticing citrus nose. On the palate, it was very crisp with flavors of grapefruit, melon and peach as well as mineral notes. The finish was moderately long and pleasantly satisfying. It had character, elevating it above a simple wine, and should appeal to almost any lover of white wines. An excellent summer wine as well as a good wine with food.

The 2007 Big Barn Red ($16.99) is supposed to be a "bold, heavy, dry Bordeaux style red wine" made from Frontenac grapes. Many people may not be familiar with Frontenac but based on the two examples I tasted, it is a grape I think deserves more recognition.

Frontenac was created by the University of Minnesota, a hybrid of Vitis riparia 89 and the French hybrid Landot 4511. It was only released in 1996 but has already become quite popular, and is even the most commonly planted grape in Minnesota. The grape does well under cold temperatures, is very disease resistant and produces dark, highly acidic, high sugar berries. Wines made from Frontenac commonly show cherry and other red fruit flavors. Frotenac has spread to many northern states, as well as Canada.

The Big Barn Red reminded me more of an Old World wine, though I did not find it either bold or heavy. I felt that it was more medium bodied, with smooth tastes of cherry, raspberry and plum. There were mild spicy elements through the taste. The tannins were more moderate and it had a fairly long finish. It was an appealing wine, again a wine with character, elevating it above the ordinary. This would make more an excellent BBQ wine, or something with everything from pizza to pasta.

The most impressive of all the wines from Vermont I tasted was their Vermont Ice Red ($65). It is probably the most expensive Vermont wine as well, but I have to say it is well worth its high price. First, this is an actual ice wine. The grapes are left on the vine, being harvested once the grapes are frozen, many ripe with botrytis. Numerous grapes are lost as well, and yields are very low. Only about three hundred bottles were produced. Second, the wine is made from Frontenac and thus is a red ice wine. This ice wine contains 15% residual sugar, has an alcohol content of 15%, and is aged in Tonnelier French oak for six months.

On the nose, there are alluring notes of ripe plum, blueberry and black cherry. When I tasted it, I was expecting a sweeter wine, something similar to many other ice wines I have previously tasted. Yet I was pleasantly surprised when it was far less sweet than expected. This is largely due to the greater acidity from the Frontenac. The wine had a complex melange of flavors, including ripe plum, black cherry, vanilla, and hints of dark spice. It had a very lengthy and appealing finish. Overall, it was very smooth and complex, its mild sweetness adding to its appeal. The taste of the grapes really shines through rather than just finding a cloying sweetness. This had to be one of the best ice wines I have ever tasted and I would highly recommend it.

If you want to try the best of Vermont wines, then you should check out the wines of Boyden Valley Winery or even visit their winery. I will keep an eye on this winery as I feel they have a very bright future ahead of them.

Chinese Ice Wine

I recently posted about the wine industry in China and am following up on that post with another about a Chinese winery that makes ice wine!

Tonhwa Grape Wine Co., Ltd., established in 1937, is the first Ice Wine producer in China. It is also the winery at the highest latitude in China.

The People's Daily Online reported that Tonhwa recently purchased a large stake in the King's Court Estate Winery in Ontario. This will help expand their Ice Wine capability.

No info on whether their Chinese Ice Wine is exported to the U.S. but I will keep looking.