| | IMPORTANT | | Reservations are required for all guided tours of orchards or cider plants. Call ahead of time to find out the exact time when apple trees will bloom in each region. Company names with hyperlinks are the only ones to offer tours. |
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Follow the guidePassion fruit!
The love affair between Quebecers and the forbidden fruit is rekindled each year. Well before the September harvest, May is the month of flowering orchards. It’s the perfect occasion to learn the many aspects of apples.
 There’s a good reason why Quebec is called La belle province. As of mid-May, thousands of apple trees burst into bloom. Their lovely white flowers are a wonderful sight and the air is awash with their gentle spring fragrance.A blend of apples and history
 L’Île-d’Orléans has splendid orchards that are the envy of other regions. Le Domaine Steinbach, an agricultural and organic tourism site in Saint-Pierre, offers visitors a unique adventure with a New France atmosphere. Philippe and Claire Steinbach welcome groups to the ancestral home for country meals. The apple in all its forms is on the menu: cider, vinegar, mustard, candied, with duck, jelly... You will glean a wealth of knowledge about regional products at the interpretation centre.Following the "cider road"
 Don’t miss the Montérégie apple tour, which goes from Saint-Théodore d’Acton to Hemmingford. You’ll find 52 hectares of orchards cultivated by the Cidrerie artisanale du Minot. "Catch them at the peak of their blooming period," says owner Robert Demoy, "because when wind and rain come into the picture, the flowers bid us farewell." Even if you miss the spectacle, you can enjoy a guided tour of the facilities and sample two absolutely divine ciders, gold-medal winners at the last Coupe des nations: Du Minot des Glaces and Crémant de Pomme. The latter has a heady bouquet of fresh McIntosh apples and is low is alcoholic content (2.5%).
The cider road holds plenty of other delightful surprises. Stop at Cidrerie Verger Léo Boutin in Mont-Saint-Grégroire or Cidrerie Michel Jodoin in Rougemont, Quebec’s apple kingdom. With close to 100 years of experience in the business, this cider-maker won the regional in the "Tourist Attraction" category at the 2002 Grands Prix du tourisme. Lined up by the thousands on the mountainside, the apple trees overlook the scenic panorama of Montérégie’s plains and rolling green hills.At an orchard near you
 After visits in the Quebec City and Montérégie regions, it’s time for a foray into the Laurentians. Less than 30 minutes from Montreal, Saint-Joseph-du-Lac boasts numerous treasures such as Cidrerie le verger Lamarche and the 12,000 apple trees at Vergers Lafrance. Taste their incomparable Cidrérable, a judicious blend of apple and maple syrup, or the sweet, authentic Pommes sur Neiges ice cider that won the Pomme d’Or at the 2002 edition of the Concours Vins et Cidres du Québec. The apple road is strewn with blossoms for now. Savour the fragrance while it lasts and look forward to biting into the crisp fruit when the time comes.- Flowering period
Starts: May 10 to 25 (south of the province)
Ends: May 20 to June 5 (north of the province) - Program
Tours of facilities, workshops, tastings, product purchases - Family activities (variable)
Petting farm, tractor ride, educational games, picnics, etc.
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 Tourism signs are easy to spot on Quebec’s roads: they’re blue. Each of the companies mentioned in this text is identified by their own signage. Here are the signs to help you find your way. |
Guillaume Rivard
2008-04-16 |
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Experience Québec
