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

À La Maison Campbell in Quebec's Eastern Townships

S and I visited Quebec's Eastern Townships this summer and stayed at À La Maison Campbell, a charming bed-and-breakfast that was highly recommended by two of our friends who love good food.

As you can see from the photos, the breakfasts at Maison Campbell are delicate works of art — ideal subjects for a food blogger's camera — and mouthwateringly delicious.

The B&B is run by Jean and Danielle Goyer, who are both incredibly warm and welcoming. Danielle is an artist and a self-taught cook. She prepares the breakfasts every morning and Jean serves them in their sunny dining room.

I don't know how they serve so many people in style every morning, but I'm glad they do because all four courses are wonderful!

The breakfast starts with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice that contains a secret ingredient to make it creamy and fizzy. This is followed by a yogurt cup that is always different from day to day — sometimes with meringue, other times with berry crisp — and showered with lots of pretty petals and leaves from the edible flowers in their garden.

Then you are offered croissants with butter and jam, and a final pièce de résistance, le plat principal du jour. While we were here, this varied from a goat cheese omelette (my favourite), crepes or scrambled eggs, eggs florentine or benedict, and French toast with hazelnut chocolate spread and almond paste.

It was a perfect way to start the day. I really recommend this B and B if you are ever in the Eastern Townships because you will be treated so well and never be hungry! Danielle and Jean even offer their guests a complimentary glass of Port each night, and access to their long, rambling garden, which has a little vineyard and lots and lots of reading nooks. We had a wonderful time and hope to return someday soon :)

















À La Maison Campbell
68, rue Bellevue
Magog, QC
1-888-843-7707


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In Season for June

It's June and list of ripe locally grown foods keeps growing longer and longer :) Yesterday, I visited my local market at 4 p.m., and by 7 p.m. S and I were slurping down linguine with shrimp, hot pepper flakes, garlic and fresh basil, all in a sauce made from locally grown tomatoes. This is the life, people!