Quebec wine
Maréchal Foch, Merlot, Mitchurinetz, Pinot noir, Pionnier, Radisson, Sabrevois, Sainte-Croix, Seyval noir[2] | |
No. of wineries | 49 [3] |
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Wine produced | 234 [1] |
Cuisine of Quebec |
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Quebec wine is wine made in the province of
Quebec wine makers have developed a large array of products including
Quebec counts six regions where vines are cultivated. They are the
History
When French explorer
Following the conquest of French Canada by the British army in 1760, imports of French wine depleted quickly, as Great Britain's colonial policy favoured trade within the British Empire.
In 1864, the Quebec government tried to encourage wine production in the province through subsidies. Wild grapes were again tried as well as hybrid varieties from the United States. The emerging industry went through important difficulties, not the least of which was the temperance movement trying to reduce the consumption of alcohol altogether and by the 1920s succeeding at prohibiting alcohol in the United States and all provinces of Canada. Despite the will of Quebecers, who voted at 81.1% against prohibition in the September 29, 1898 Canadian-wide referendum on the subject, the Parliament of Quebec enacted a law of total prohibition, which became effective on May 1, 1919. Shortly after, a Quebec-wide referendum was held in which Quebecers voted the exclusion of beer, wine, and cider from the prohibition list. Quebec remained the sole region of North America to escape total prohibition.[5]
20th century to modern day
In 1921, an Alcoholic Beverages Act was passed and the Commission des liqueurs du Québec was established to conduct the trade of beer, wine and cider, and eventually spirits too. This state-owned corporation would then on exercise a legal monopoly on all distribution of alcohol in Quebec, which it still enjoys today (though the corporation now bears the name of Société des alcools du Québec).[5]
With the diversification of Quebecers' alcohol consumption habits ultimately came a demand for local products. In the 1970s, some farmers began experimenting with hybrid varieties, both white and red. Early successes at developing quality products, prompted many others to follow and the 1980s and 1990s saw the burgeoning of numerous vineyards all over southern Quebec.
In 1987, the first few Quebec wine growers formed an association. The successes of some of its members ultimately caught the attention of the French and in 1995, the Association des Vignerons du Québec and the Syndicat viticole des Graves et Graves supérieures of the Bordeaux region united in a professional partnership.[6]
Climate and geography
The St. Lawrence river valley, south of the province, is a fertile region where wild grapes and other fruits grow naturally and abundantly. However, the four-month-long winter of this
Grape varieties
The vine varieties that seem to grow the best in Quebec are those of the Northern
See also
References
- ^ a b c AVQ. "Statistiques vini-viticoles", in the site Association des Vignerons du Québec, retrieved September 25, 2008
- ^ QWA. "Grape varietals in Québec Archived October 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine", in the site Quebec Winegrowers Association, retrieved September 25, 2008
- ^ QWA. "Wineries and vineyards Archived October 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine", in the site Quebec Winegrowers Association, retrieved September 25, 2008
- ^ a b c QWA. "Quebec's wine history Archived October 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine", in the site Quebec Winegrowers Association, retrieved September 25, 2008
- ^ a b SAQ. "80 Years... With Pleasure!", on the site SAQ.com, retrieved September 25, 2008
- ^ QWA. "About the Association Archived October 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine", in the site Quebec Winegrowers Association, retrieved October 18, 2008
- ^ L'Orpailleur. "Growing, Soil & Climat", in the site L'Orpailleur, retrieved September 25, 2008
Further reading
In French
- Aloir-Roy, Andrée-Nathalie (2004). Rendement du Seyval blanc dans un vignoble du Québec suite à l'essai de protections hivernales de neige artificielle, de neige naturelle et de feuilles, Sherbrooke: Département de géographie et télédétection (U de S), 143 p.
- SAQ (2002). Terroirs d'ici, Montréal: Société des alcools du Québec, 203 p.
- Aloir-Roy, Andrée-Nathalie et al. (2001). Variabilité des sols et stratégie d'échantillonnage dans les vignobles : cas du vignoble Sous les charmilles à Rock Forest, Québec, Sherbrooke: Département de géographie et télédétection (U de S), 85 p.
- Le Cours, Rudy (1998). À la découverte des vins et des boissons artisanales du Québec : vins, cidres, hydromels, boissons de petits fruits et de sève d'érable, Montréal: Éditions de l'Homme, 187 p. (ISBN 2-7619-1424-4)
- Dubois, Jean-Marie and Laurent Deshaies (1997). Guide des vignobles du Québec : sur la route des vins , Sainte-Foy: PUL IG, 297 p. (ISBN 2-7637-7512-8)
- Béraud, Huguette and Thierry Debeur (1995). La route des vignobles du Québec, Brossard: T. Debeur, 96 p. (ISBN 2921377152)
External links
- Web site of the Quebec Winegrowers Association (QWA)
- "SAQ at a glance 80 Years... With Pleasure!", in the site of the Société des alcools du Québec