Domaine des Cotes d’Ardoise

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Domaine des Cotes d’Ardoise is a beautifully landscaped winery that is as much a celebration of art as it is of wine. We sampled some tasty whites and a peppery red that I also liked, and purchased a bottle of the Seyval Carte D'Or (on the far right in the photo above).

The grounds are lovely. There's art for sale on the walls of the building where you do tastings and buy wine. There's also a small, modern freestanding kitchen (for a very lucky chef!) next to a pond with beautiful plants and sculptures in the water.

We took a long walk about the grounds and made a nice discovery. Scattered about the vineyard every few feet are different sculptures by various Quebec-based artists. Called Nature et Creation, it's the province's largest outdoor sculpture exhibition and the winery hosts it every year.

Here are some photos of my favourite sculptures. Quirky and interesting and so very French!


A cute family


Half a violin that is very eighties meets Art Deco


Adorable metal tree sculptures that reminded me of dainty bonsai trees


The lovely front door with a sign commemorating the winery's 30th anniversary


Wandering the grounds to meet the next great sculpture


Domaine des Cotes d’Ardoise
879, rue Bruce, (Road 202)
Dunham (QC) J0E 1M0


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Tel: 450-295-2020

Les Trois Clochers, a winery in Quebec's Eastern Townships

It is very hard to pick a favourite vignoble in Quebec's Eastern Townships because they all have their unique charms. However, if I have to pick just one, it would be the winery Les Trois Clochers.

The boutique is in an old barn, full of lovely wines and sweetly furnished. The grounds are very secluded and overlook three churches in the nearby city of Dunham, Que.

It is so peaceful and rustic as you can see from the photos. The grounds had little treasures dotted here and there, like an old barrel, a weathered wooden door and a piece of long-forgotten farming equipment. We had lunch on a picnic table under a tree. For a while, we were the only living things there, with the exception of the owners' two turkeys, who were quite nice company!



Like many of the wineries in this region, this one is about 30 years old. It's first vines were planted in 1986. We had a tasting and bought a bottle of their blanc boisé, a dry oaked white, which was very light and fresh, and made from Seyval grapes.

We drank it later with my family and some nice cheeses bought on the same road trip: one from Ferme Diodati just outside of Montreal, and another from Saint-Benoît, an abbey in the Eastern Townships whose monks produce their own cheeses. (More on these extraordinary places later.)



Vignoble Les Trois Clochers
341, rue Bruce RR 3
Dunham, QC J0E 1M0
450.295.2034