In Quebec, they make a lot of wine—white, red, “natural,” and orange. And 60% of the province’s wine production is in the Eastern Townships, along one of Quebec’s most beautiful routes—the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route.
The Wine Route winds through the green hills of the Townships and passes through the area’s most charming villages. Here are a few of our favorites:
We’ll pack a stack of CDs, some insect repellent, and a list of all the wineries we want to visit.
THE WINE ROUTE
The Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route is 160 kilometers long and passes through 25 vineyards in the Townships. You can spend a day on this route, or stay overnight at one of the vineyards that also operate as B&Bs.
For example, the very chic Château Ste-Agnès —which has the slightly Disneyfied look of a vineyard in an old French movie and is a very popular destination for weddings. It offers views of the Appalachians and small cottages or suites where you can sleep in floral sheets.
You can also explore the Wine Route by bike—though it’ll be a bit tricky to visit all 25 wineries in one go. Because the word for it is “idyllic,” and the Wine Route is worth exploring even without stopping to taste the region’s wines.
In addition to stopping for walks through the vineyards and tastings, you can stop for a picnic or pop into a village for a sandwich and coffee. All around here, you can see the mountains everywhere—it’s green, it’s nature, and it’s incredibly well-preserved, under a blue sky and full of wildflowers and the prettiest summer memories.
