In 1980, Christian Barthomeuf travelled to Ontario with Mr. Jacques Breault (who still grows vines in Dunham) to search for cuttings and plants his first vine stock of De Chaunac, Seyval Blanc and Marechal Foch at the vineyard. This makes Domaine Des Cotes d’Ardoise, the oldest commercial still exploited vineyard in Quebec.
1981 : First plantations of Marechal Foch, Seyval Blanc and Pinot Noir.
1982 : First plantations of Seyval and Chardonnay.
1983 : 13,000 plants are added, Gamay and Pinot Noir among them. The vineyard is sold to Mr. Jean-Louis Roy and Mr. Gilles Ducharme, and Mr. Barthomeuf stays as its manager.
1984 : The vineyard is sold to Mr. Jacques Papillon who is still the sole owner.
The first red and white wines were made in 1982. In spring 1983, the Domain started selling its first bottles in total illegality, since no artisanal wine production permit existed
then and less even a selling permit.
Selling Wine without a Permit
The vineyard that sold its wine without a permit definitely needed some sort of legal status, but the authorities did not know how to deal with the problem that menaced to become more serious as other nutcases were starting to grow vines in Dunham. The same laws that applied to the big commercial winemakers that imported their wine and their must from all over the world could not be applied to a small vineyard that produced its own grapes.
A new policy had to be created. Political pressure, rightly said, and the intervention of Mrs. Claire Lambin Plante, then director of La Barrique magazine, convinced the executives of the SAQ to come to the vineyard in August 1984 in order to at least taste the products from the vineyard.
Wine Tasting at the Vineyard
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the president of the SAQ, Mr. Lord and the laboratory director, Mr. Tremblay came by. The visit was short since our visitors feared being surprised by the media inside an illegal organization.
After the wine tasting, Mr. Tremblay announced surprised, « but it is drinkable, it is even sellable ». The first step was made toward a permit allowing artisanal production. The permits were issued in spring 1985 and 3 years later, Domaine des Cotes d’Ardoise was earning the first medal granted to a Quebecois vineyard: the Seyval Carte d’Or 86 won the Gold Medal at Sélections Mondiales 1987 in Montreal in the Traditional White Wine Category over the classic Pierre Masson and a French wine called La Pucelle.
Since then, the Vineyard Domaine des Cotes d’Ardoise has not stopped improving in
quantity and quality. The Estate currently grows 25,000 grapevines in a 7.5 hectare area.
Red Viniferas : Gamay
White Viniferas : Riesling
Red Hybrids : Foch, De Chaunac, Chélois, Lucy Kullman.
White Hybrids : Seyval, Aurore.
In 2009, the production will vary between 15,000 and 25,000 wine bottles per year.
After the wine tasting, Mr. Tremblay announced surprised, « but it is drinkable, it is even sellable ». The first step was made toward a permit allowing artisanal production. The permits were issued in spring 1985 and 3 years later, Domaine des Cotes d’Ardoise was earning the first medal granted to a Quebecois vineyard: the Seyval Carte d’Or 86 won the Gold Medal at Sélections Mondiales 1987 in Montreal in the Traditional White Wine Category over the classic Pierre Masson and a French wine called La Pucelle.
Since then, the Vineyard Domaine des Cotes d’Ardoise has not stopped improving in
quantity and quality. The Estate currently grows 25,000 grapevines in a 7.5 hectare area.