2023 Tourism Excellence Award

Charles-Henri de Coussergues receives the Grand Builder Prize

Charles-Henri de Coussergues, winemaker and owner of Vignoble de l'Orpailleur and Union Libre cidre et vin, is very proud to have been awarded the 2023 Grand Builder Prize from the Alliance of the Quebec Tourism Industry during the 2023 Tourism Excellence Awards Ceremony at the CECi in Trois-Rivières.

Charles-Henri de Coussergues during the presentation of the Great Builder Prize in Trois-Rivières
Source: Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance

The Grand Bâtisseur prize is an exceptional prize which rewards a notable personality in the Quebec tourism industry who has demonstrated audacity, vision and leadership. Presented by the Ministry of Tourism, this distinction was presented to Mr. de Coussergues on September 26 by the Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx.

[Left: Charles-Henri de Coussergues du Vignoble de l’Orpailleur and Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism]
Source: Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance

“Even though it’s wine we make, it’s a story we bottle year after year. We are as proud to tell it today as on the first day. Welcoming people to the Vineyard to tell the story of this beautiful human adventure has always been part of our DNA. Although it was quite a challenge at the time we were certainly pioneers in our wine industry and also, with determination, sowed the first foundations of countryside tourism commonly now called agrotourism. » , declares Charles-Henri de Coussergues.

Tourism Excellence Award

On September 26 at the CECi in Trois-Rivières, 13 trophies were awarded to tourism entrepreneurs and artisans who continue to advance the destination. The vast majority of the initiatives that stood out to the jury have this in common: a responsible and sustainable dimension including environmental, social and economic benefits.
This Tourism Excellence Awards competition is an initiative and production of the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance and a presentation of the Ministry of Tourism.

Pioneer in agritourism in Quebec

In 1989, when visiting farms was not common, the Vignoble de l'Orpailleur invited Quebecers to take guided tours and discover its wines. Instigator of the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route, the Vignoble de l'Orpailleur is visited by tens of thousands of people each year. Mr. de Coussergues notes the importance for companies like his to promote their regions. Since 2001, the Vignoble de l'Orpailleur has also been part of the Économusée Network (SRE) whose mission is to allow visitors to discover the work of the artisan. The SRE, originally from Quebec, now has members all over the world.

About the Orpailleur Vineyard

The Orpailleur vineyard, owned by the same four adventurers since its beginnings, is the pioneer of its industry in Quebec. The winegrowers planted their first vines in 1982 in the beautiful Dunham Valley. Today, the fourteen wines from the Orpailleur vineyard constantly push their limits, to satisfy the taste buds of wine lovers. With the support of Quebecers, the Orpailleur vineyard is the Quebec leader in sales to the SAQ. Its wines are available in the majority of branches and in many restaurants in Quebec. The vineyard has more than 200 medals to its credit.

The winemaker and co-owner Charles-Henri de Coussergues has directed the activities of the Vignoble since 1982. A founding member of the Association des Vignerons du Québec, he was president from 2008 to 2016 and is a director and vice-president of the Wine Council of appellation of Quebec. He is Grand Master of the noble Confrérie des Vignerons du Québec and a member of the College of Wine Ambassadors in Quebec. From 2019 to 2023, he was president of the Association of Agrotourism and Gourmet Tourism of Quebec. He is a precursor of the wine industry in Quebec and defender of the implementation and evolution of numerous laws fueling the influence of Quebec vineyards in Canada and abroad.