Through the cooler nights and still-warm days of August, you can slowly feel the end of summer settling in. At the same time, the fields are at the height of their bounty, full of flowers and laden with the fruits of the season. It’s in this gentle nostalgia that the time seems right to discover the vineyards of the surrounding area! In recent years, a new generation of young, motivated and creative winemakers has set out on their own, bringing a breath of fresh air to a booming agri-tourism sector.
First stop: Domaine Arvi
First, we drive along rang de l’Hêtrière in the peaceful village of Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse to discover Domaine Arvi (formerly Domaine Bel-Chas), bought in January 2022 by the owners of the divine Limoilou restaurant). The place is still evolving, and over the years it will take on the flavour of the new owners, but it’s already looking promising.
To the sound of crickets and birds, we settle down on the terrace where Julien, the owner, offers us a tasting of four of their wines, which we accompany with an aperitif platter: Turlo farm’s fortified sausage, red wine cheese from Fromagerie des Grondines, lacto-fermented celeriac from Arvi and fresh bread. A concern for local economy is firmly rooted in the company’s DNA. The wines are defined by their unique terroir, most of them thirst-quenching wines that lend themselves well to a variety of pairings. Julien explains that it’s by embracing the uniqueness of our wines that we can really succeed in creating quality products.
As we savoured a chilled fortified amber wine that was just the right amount of gourmet, it was all happening before our very eyes. The next day, around sixty guests gathered to enjoy the first edition of a large-scale collaborative outdoor meal with producer and restaurateur friends in the enchanting setting of the estate. It was in this festive and friendly atmosphere that we saw the lamb from Ferme du Dolmen (a whole piece that will cook slowly over the embers of an outdoor fire for many hours), cheeses from Cassis et Mélisse (which we love), the vegetable growers from the end of the row with their generous harvests, and their friends.e.s du Verre Pickl’, who will be in charge of the menu, a six-course meal with wine and food pairings. No doubt the guests will have a memorable evening!
We extended our visit with a stroll through the vineyards, where at the end of an alleyway were beehives with thousands of busy bees. We were able to get our hands on a jar of their raw honey, which we can’t wait to taste, as well as some bottles of wine that caught our eye, Petit Jus Astral – a collaboration to mark the 10th anniversary of William J. Walter St-Roch – and Le cœur est un oiseau sauvage, their most recent creation.
