2023 Tourism Excellence Awards

Charles-Henri de Coussergues receives the Grand Builder Award

Charles-Henri de Coussergues, owner of Vignoble de l'Orpailleur and Union Libre cidre et vin, is very proud to have received the 2023 Grand Builder Award from the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec at the 2023 Tourism Excellence Awards Ceremony at the CECi in Trois-Rivières.

Charles-Henri de Coussergues receiving the Grand Builder Award in Trois-Rivières
Source: Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec

The Grand Builder Award is an out-of-category award that recognizes a prominent personality in Quebec's tourism industry who has demonstrated boldness, vision, and leadership. Presented by the Ministry of Tourism, this distinction was awarded to Mr. de Coussergues on September 26 by the Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx.

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

“Even if we make wine, it's a story we bottle year after year. We are as proud to tell it today as we were on the first day. Welcoming people to the Vineyard to share this wonderful human adventure has always been part of our DNA. Even though it was quite a challenge at the time, we were certainly pioneers in our wine industry and also, with determination, laid the first foundations of rural tourism, now commonly called agritourism,” says Charles-Henri de Coussergues.

Tourism Excellence Awards

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 initiatives that stood out to the jury largely shared one thing in common: a responsible and sustainable dimension that included environmental, social, and economic benefits. This Tourism Excellence Awards competition is an initiative and production of the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec and presented by the Ministry of Tourism.

Pioneer in agritourism in Quebec

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

About Vignoble de l'Orpailleur

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

Winemaker and co-owner Charles-Henri de Coussergues has been managing the Vineyard's activities since 1982. A founding member of the Association des Vignerons du Québec, he was its president from 2008 to 2016 and is a director and Vice-President of the Conseil des vins d'appellation du Québec. He is Grand Master of the noble Confrérie des Vignerons du Québec and a member of the Collège des ambassadeurs du vin au Québec. From 2019 to 2023, he was president of the Association de l'Agrotourisme et du Tourisme Gourmand du Québec. He is a precursor of the wine industry in Quebec and an advocate for the implementation and evolution of numerous laws promoting the influence of Quebec vineyards in Canada and abroad.