I will be in Quebec in a couple of weeks, with a Montreal> Tremblant> Quebec City> Eastern Townships loop. I will be with my kids, so I’m not going to bother with any winery tours, but curious as to whether there is anything I might look for at the SAQ. The stores take a lot of flack, so I’m not expecting much, but if there’s any wine or liquor to look for that may be hard to source in Virginia, I’d love to keep my eyes out. )I also have an open mind about Canadian wine.) I see some Armagnac online that may be compelling.
I found the cheese excellent!
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Both Montreal & QC have SAQ signature stores, where you can score some finds relative to US pricing (especially with the US$). Mostly French & new release though.
Yes, Quebec can make great cheese and if you enjoy gourmet food, it can be a treasure trove. I suspect you’ll just run into things on your own.
You can search threads for Canadian wines. In Quebec, you probably will only find some Prince Edward County or Niagara (both Ontario) wines.
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Havana Club 7 year old rum. Not legal to bring home, though
Why?
Because Biden said so. You could bring in for personal use until a couple of years ago. Finger wagging at Cuba
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For wine check out the SAQ on Maisonneuve (425, boulevard De Maisonneuve Ouest) or de la Montagne (1450, de la Montagne). You probably won’t make any finds though. The days of great bottles remaining on the shelves are gone. All highly sought after wines disapear online before hitting the stores.
Quebec wines are meh… some are drinkable but that’s about it (although some people disagree with me). If you want to bring back something typical and good try:
Clos Saragnat: iced cider or, if you like bitterness, L’amer apéritif. If going for their iced cider, pick the top cuvées (http://www.saragnat.com/produits.html). You might need to go there to get their products though.
Ferme Apicole Desrochers: their Hors d’âge mead is insane: https://www.cellartracker.com/m/wines/2944203
A lot of gins are good and worth seeking out.
Pit Caribou makes some decent beers: https://pitcaribou.com/en/our-pubs/pub-montreal/
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In the Eastern Townships (Estrie) there are lots of cool little places to eat and drink. Try to find BYOB places and grab your bottles ahead of time at SAQ. Wine in restaurants are very pricey.
For a beer and snack, the brasserie in Dunham has decent beers:
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We really enjoy the Eastern Townships. There are a few family friendly wineries, a beautiful old abbay, and a big wine festival in September in Magog. One fun thing - not wine related but the kids may enjoy - is Forest Lumina https://forestalumina.com/
Manor Hovey is a great place to stay right on the lake and they have lots of boating and a new spa.
For wine, we enjoy the dessert wine from Rivière du Chene - Monde https://www.saq.com/en/content/inspiration/profiles/riviere-chene-vineyard
Thanks! I have a reservation at BYO in Magog, and will bring a couple of bottles north.
Thanks! Staying in North Hatley and definitely going to check out the coaticook area where Lumina is. May just look into some of these wineries.