Vintage Canada
Tony Aspler’s
Don Loney/Word Guild
1995
290 pages

Vignoble de l’Orpailleur
1086, route 202, Dunham, Quebec J0E 1M0
Telephone : (514) 295-2763
Fax : (514) 295-3112

Hervé Durand, a winemaker from Avignon who studied in Dijon and taught eonology in Argentina, bought the Dunham farm in 1980 and planted his vineyard two years later. His neighbour, Frank Furtado, an impresario who puts on firework displays, was so intrigued by the notion that he became a partner. Later publisher Pierre Rodrigue bought in, and with Franch winemaker Charles-Henri de Coussergues the winery has become the commercial leader in the province. Gilles Vigneault inadvertently named the enterprise when he told Hervé, “making wine in Quebec is like panning for gold.” L’Orpailleur is a man who does just that.

A white woodfraime farmhouse stands in front of a modern cedar-built winery with a magnificent terrace where you can dine on summer days. The store sells sweatshirts and other winery memorabilia. French and American oak barrels are used.

Winemaker : Charles-Henri de Coussergues
Acreage : 24
Soil : Sand and gravel. The soil is very dry and warm, gentle slopes.
Grape variety : Seyval Blanc
Production : 6,500 cases
Average tonnage crushed : 85
Winemaking philosophy : “Our wine is made exclusively from grapes grown in Quebec. We will continue to do research to discover the best varieties to plant in our soil.”
Wines : Own store : L’Orpailleur Vin Blanc*, l’Orpailleur élevé en fût de chêne*, Apérid’Or, Vin Nouveau, La Mousse d’Or (méthode champenoise sparkling wine)
Store hours : April 15 to November 15: daily 9 am – 6 pm. November 15 to April 15: Saturday and Sunday, 10 amj-12 noon and 1 pm-5pm (the rest of the week by appointment)
Tours : During store hours
Public tastings: During store hours
Restaurant : Fist weekend of June to October 22 (group reservation required)