August 15, 1985: Christening of the Orpailleur

At a dinner at Frank Furtado's in Montreal, Gilles Vigneault is there, and we have him taste one of the rare bottles of white wine obtained in 1984 from... second-leaf vines! He is surprised and suggests the name "Vignoble de l'Orpailleur." L'Orpailleur was born that evening, around a bottle of wine, in the company of an immense poet who gave us his full trust through his love for his country.

A name offered by a poet

The gold panner is the one who washes auriferous alluvium to extract, through time, science, and patience, the gold flakes found within.

Thus, for the first time in Quebec, winemakers have applied science, patience, and the necessary time to extract from Quebec soil a dry wine, unique in every respect, from a grape variety planted and harvested here, and its grapes vinified at the vineyard according to the best traditions.

Its color, its fragrance, its aroma, and its bouquet are like so many gold flakes that remember the snows under which they spent the winter.


Here is L'Orpailleur! From the Dunham vineyard, all the way to your glass... it is authentically from here.

- Gilles Vigneault, 1985

The thread of our story

  • 1982 - The Audacity of Pioneers

    Purchase of the farm, planting of the first 720 vines, and first hilling-up to protect them from the cold.

  • 1985 - The first harvest

    The vineyard yields its first 15,000 bottles of a dry and fruity white wine. We meet Gilles Vigneault who lends his name to the vineyard: l'Orpailleur.

  • 1989 - Open to the public

    Launch of the first guided tours of the estate. A major milestone that will lay the foundations for the famous Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route.

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  • 1990 - First restaurant in a green zone

    Opening of the seasonal restaurant Le Tire-Bouchon at the Vineyard.

  • 1996 - SAQ Pioneer

    L'Orpailleur becomes the first Quebec vineyard to be listed by the SAQ.

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  • 2009 - Global Recognition

    L'Orpailleur shines internationally. The 2007 Ice Wine receives two major awards: a Vinalies d'Or in Paris and a Gold Medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

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The adventure of four enthusiasts

From this seemingly ungrateful land, land of rocks and weeds, we have rooted our convictions, our determination, our love of the profession in order to extract a beautiful story that we bottle year after year and which improves with time.

OUR WINES

Our mission and our values

To be a leader and a benchmark in the world of wine in Quebec and Canada.

Our mission is to offer authentically Quebec wines of superior quality, meeting the highest standards in winemaking.

OUR VALUES

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