While waiting for spring, it’s the most important mid-season of the year in Quebec: maple syrup season. Maple sap is drawn from the trunks of maple trees while the snow melts all around. It is boiled, sweetened, and turned into the obligatory Canadian maple syrup.
The season also brings a heavy dose of nostalgia and the menu that goes with it—and it’s eaten in an overheated room, sitting on a rough wooden bench, surrounded by 18 crying cousins with wet feet. That’s how it is, and it’s wonderful.
For those who want to dress up their nostalgia with a (very adult) coat of gastronomy and a Texan vibe in the middle of the melting forest, we recommend a visit to the Vignoble du Ruisseau sugar shack in the Eastern Townships.
Texas, sugar, and the Eastern Townships
Le Vignoble du Ruisseau is one of 12 vineyards in the beautiful village of Dunham, in the Eastern Townships. It produces wines and spirits and is located in the heart of the region’s most beautiful hills.
In the spring, the vineyard turns into a sugar shack, and in 2026, two chefs transform the maple water from the property into a very chic, half-Texan, half-French menu. For nostalgic people with luxurious tastes, it’s a good way to reconcile the two.
The three-course set menu created by chefs Ronan Ulliac and Nick Hodge features traditional sugar shack ham tacos, trout gravlax, and duck fried chicken. And, of course, the dishes will be paired with wine from the vineyard. For the ham tacos, will it be red or white?
Afterwards, we recommend taking a walk or a guided tour of the vineyard and hanging out in the area for a while before heading back to Montreal. The Eastern Townships are beautiful when they melt…
Practical Information
Where? 4500 Strobl, Dunham, QC, J0E 1M0 —a 1 hour and 15 minute drive from Montreal.
When? March 6 to April 26, 2026
Service hours:
Friday: 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Easter Weekend Special: 4 days, including Easter Monday
*Open on Thursdays for private groups (minimum 50 people)
How? Reservations are recommended, especially if you’re coming as a group—to book and for more information, click here!
Three-course menu and appetizers for $70 / food and wine pairings available
