Blog | Gourmet delights

Sugaring season at the vineyard

Have you ever heard about Vignoble du Ruisseau, a vineyard in Dunham? If not, the sugaring season is the perfect opportunity to visit this new vineyard which also has a sugar bush. Last week, I had the pleasure of savouring the mouth-watering food fare on the sugar shack’s menu. The entire experience bears no resemblance to a sugar shack in the woods, nor the bland meals at some of the big commercial-type sugar shacks. No, the facilities here are impressive and the setting is absolutely magnificent. Arriving here, I crossed the covered foot bridge to the sound of a babbling brook, and I got the impression I had just entered a fairy-tale land. The sugar bush, vineyard, boutique, menu and guided tours…everything is designed with class and good taste. You simply must see this place!

 

THE SUGAR BUSH

At the end of a gorgeous country road, in Dunham, the sugar bush has more than 4,200 taps forming a tubular network that carries the sap to the tanks in the cellars. The sap is then heated in a top-of-the-line evaporator heated by wood pellets, a system that provides much cleaner energy. The maple products are transformed in the kitchen, on site. You can taste all of these products, in their many varieties, in the sugar shack menu offering and in the food shop.

 

THE MENU

As of March 1, from Wednesday to Sunday, indulge in a traditional and fine-cuisine sugaring season menu in a three-course format, or a six course for the more daring.   The food fare includes: Maple pulled-pork stuffed steamed bun with bacon chips and green onions, oreilles de crisse with apple sauce and foie gras, a platter of the Vineyard’s assorted sausages, maple-glazed ham and Brussel sprouts on Flageolet beans and butternut squash, apple and pecan dumplings in maple syrup, maple wine jelly stuffed potato doughnut and lots more! Plenty of things to get your mouth watering! Check out the full menu and the prices here. Please note that a gluten-free menu is also available.

 

THE VINEYARD

I took advantage of my visit to learn more about this innovative Vineyard and to sample some of its fine products. The brand new sparkling wine, Blanc de blancs, is developed from Chardonnay and has an absolutely divine taste! Vignoble du ruisseau owes its success with the vinferas grape varieties in Québec to a patent-pending geothermal technology. Yes! You read correctly, the geothermal process allows the vines roots to be protected from frost and it also allows the Vineyard to cultivate the vine varieties not commonly grown in the province of Québec. This extends the growing season for Pinot noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Vidal. As a result, you get a distinctive taste that is exclusively Vignoble du ruisseau. To learn more about the Vineyard and to fully enjoy the premises, I recommend that you take a guided tour. You can find all the details here.

THE BOUTIQUE

Don’t miss out on roving around the spacious and well-lit boutique, which is open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take some time to taste the wines there, at the bar-counter, and to pick up some delicious foodstuffs to bring back home with you. You’ll find all of the home-made maple products in the boutique (maple syrup, maple butter and maple jelly, maple caramel and maple candies, maple-glazed nuts made on site), as well as assorted condiments, snacks and jams, also made right on site.

 

YOUR TICKETS

Reserve and buy your tickets for the sugar shack meal, either at the boutique or by phone: 450 538-3782, extension 250 and at info@levignobleduruisseau.com

4500 Strobl, Dunham, QC, J0E 1M0

For further details, please go to our website at www.levignobleduriusseau.com

 

Have a great sugaring season!

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