Charles-Henri de Coussergues : vineyard manager

Son and grandson of vine growers, Charles-Henri de Coussergues was born in the South of France, in the department of Gard, in the Costières de Nîmes area. After completing his studies in vine growing and winemaking, he worked on the family estate for four years, where he acquired valuable experience in the cultivation of vines and the production of wine. He became co-owner and general director of the Orpailleur in 1982. Together with Hervé Durand, he started to grow vines commercially in Québec and developed a protection technique which consists of ridging-up the vines for the winter and consequently avoiding many problems related to our cold winters. He is a founding member of the Association des vignerons du Québec (Québec’s Winemakers Association) and has been its vice-president and treasurer for many years now. Consequently, he is very much involved in matters of marketing Québec wines and all the inherent problems. He is also a founding member of Grand Master of Québec’s Noble Confrérie which promotes wines and professional winemakers of the province. As well, he sits on a committee studying the possibility for Québec to become part of the Vinters Quality Alliance, a federal organisation that regulates the production of Canadian wines. On May 27, 2002, Charles-Henri was inducted into the Collège des ambassadeurs de vins du Québec (Wine Ambassadors College of Québec).

Hervé Durand

Born in the South of France, Hervé Durand specialises in vine growing and winemaking. He holds a degree in oenology from Dijon and one in wine production economics and legislation from Montpellier. After teaching oenology in Argentina for a while, he comes back to France to take over the imposing family estate, the Château des Tourelles. Located in the Avignon area, this estate can produce up to a million bottles a year. (Products available at the SAQ.)

Photo : Manuel Furtado

Frank Furtado

Métrostar depuis ses débuts en 1986.
A well-known personality of the Québécois show-business industry, Frank Furtado has been an agent to several famed artists in Québec over the years, an entertainment producer, a director of operations and production director of many important events such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1976 Montréal Olympic Games. He is the founder of the Benson & Hedges International Fireworks Competition of Montréal, of which he was the executive director in 1985 and 1986. Since 1987 he has been working for the Toronto’s fireworks competition and has been executive producer for the Vancouver’ fireworks competition since 1990. He is also the executive director of the Gala Métrostar since it began in 1986.