A couple of routes to wine wisdom
Still at the stage of red versus white, but want to learn more about wines? Here are a couple of roads you can take, either on your own or with a friend:
WINE 101 —
The SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec), in conjunction with l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), the inspirational tourism school on St-Denis St., runs several Wine and Food Pairing Workshops and Wine and Spirit Courses, including Wine 101/Vins 101.
You’ll sharpen your wine vocabulary with terms like bouquet, tannins, decanting, barnyard and the classic three “C’s” of French oenology — cépage, cuvée and cru (grape varietal, blend/batch and classification). Wine 101 covers the art of interpreting wine labels, so you’ll be savvier at the wine store. You’ll taste and learn the subtleties of different grapes. And you’ll have a basic lesson in wine pairings, going above the basics of red with meat and white with fish.
Wine 101 will be held in November in Montreal and Laval. Vins 101 (in French) runs on several dates, September to December, at many other venues. Three classes cost $180; visit atelierssaq.com for more information.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
—If learning about wine and cider is your goal, the annual Fête des Vendanges (Harvest Festival) MagogOrford is a terrific place to sip and sample Quebec products.
It’s an extravaganza of gastronomy and family fun, held in a giant tent on Pointe Merry in Magog, on the shore of Lake Memphremagog. This year’s event will take place Sept. 2-4 and Sept. 9-10 and includes artisan displays, children’s activities, musical performances and demos by top chefs. Food producers will be out in force, with tastings and sales of gourmet treats such as duck, honey, maple products and herbs.
Among new attractions: a virtual reality pavilion where people can experience a vineyard visit through sound and video.
Among the exhibitors will be Domaine des Côtes d’Ardoise, Quebec’s oldest winery, founded in 1980; Vignoble Gagliano, owned by former politician Alfonso Gagliano and his family; and Vignoble de l’Orpailleur, marking its 35th anniversary. Among the cider producers at the festival will be Cidrerie La Pommeraie du Suroît, Cidrerie du Minot and Domaine Cartier-Potelle.
For more info, visit fetedesvendages.com