Dunham, March 7, 2018 – Charles-Henri de Coussergues, winemaker and owner of the Orpailleur vineyard, is proud to announce that the Dunham vineyard is moving forward with a major project to improve the visitor experience. “Visitors to the Orpailleur vineyard were the first to believe in us. Today, our wines are sold everywhere in Quebec and it would not be possible to have reached this point without them. We want to offer them a renewed, unique experience that lives up to their expectations,” he explains.
Carried out in collaboration with the team of the ECONOMUSEUM Network Company (SRÉ), of which the Orpailleur is a member, the work is aimed at the interior and exterior spaces intended for visitors to the vineyard. The winemaker expects to complete the work in the spring of 2019.
RENEW THE EXPERIENCE
L'Orpailleur, which is almost a place of pilgrimage in Dunham for Quebec wine lovers, is working in collaboration with the SRÉ in this project. The SRÉ plays a key role in supporting the company from the beginning of the project, to renew the contents of the interior and exterior interpretation spaces and to add new ones throughout the course. As Carl-Eric Guertin, General Manager of the SRÉ, explains: “in accordance with the mission of our organization, we want to allow visitors to discover all the facets of the craftsman's work. »
We will learn in particular about viticulture and work in the cellar. The vineyard offers to raise awareness of the grape varieties that make the success of its wines, as well as the work involved in the development of our wines, from the fields to the bottle, including winemaking. “We also want to explain everything we do to develop a reasoned culture, in harmony and with respect for the environment,” explains Mr. de Coussergues. The vineyard also intends to create zones with different atmospheres, to offer more flexibility for visits and to create a more welcoming environment.
We will continue to offer tastings year-round, guided tours (from June 1 to October 31) and the Tire-Bouchon restaurant will continue to offer meals in this bucolic environment, in addition to holding many events there. private each year.
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITORS
Pioneer of the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route, the Orpailleur vineyard has been visited by tens of thousands of people every year since its beginnings in 1982 and the owners of this family business value this relationship that they have with Quebecers and visitors from everywhere.
Mr. de Coussergues notes the importance for companies like his to have world-class reception facilities. This project will be made possible thanks to financial support from Tourisme Cantons de l'Est and the Ministry of Tourism in the amount of $208,000. “We are pleased to contribute through the Eastern Townships Regional Tourism Partnership Agreement (EPRT) to this important project to improve the experience of visitors to the Orpailleur vineyard, the largest in the Quebec. Let's remember that food and wine tourism is one of the cornerstones of the regional tourist offer,” said Jean-Michel Ryan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est.
The Orpailleur vineyard, owned by the same four adventurers since its inception, is the pioneer of its industry in Quebec. The winemakers planted their first vines in 1982 in the beautiful Dunham Valley. Today, the ten wines from the Orpailleur vineyard are constantly pushing their limits, to satisfy the taste buds of wine lovers. With the support of Quebecers, the Orpailleur vineyard is today the Quebec leader in sales at the SAQ. Its wines are available in 335 branches and in many restaurants in Quebec. The vineyard has more than 160 medals to its credit. Winemaker Charles-Henri de Coussergues, outgoing president and founder of the Association des Vignerons du Québec, is a precursor of the wine industry in Quebec and defender of the implementation and evolution of many laws fueling the influence of vineyards Quebecois in Canada and abroad.
