[Growwine] Opinion letter in Le Devoir on snobbery of quebec grown wines

[Martin Paré]

Hi,

by a winery owner, about how a "leading" wine writer, editor of Celliers, 
takes a stand against quebec wine.

To put in parralel to another "leading wine writer" book's review in La 
Presse.http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20071116/CPSOLEIL/71115201/69
43/CPSOLEIL, see under Michel Phaneuf.  The reviewer pretty much says 
that beyond France and Italy, well the guy is a snob.

The opinion letter, In French:
http://www.ledevoir.com/2007/11/17/164737.html

translated with google language tool:

Opinion leter by LeonCourville, onwner of Les Bromes vineyard.
"There is much talk these days of climate change and its influence on 
agriculture, the wine industry is no exception, quite the contrary. The quality 
and properties of wine are affected by global warming; grapes that are 
suffering too much heat reaches a level of sugar high and must be picked 
before they reach their maturity. The results are less complex wines and 
alcohol very high. 
  
Climate change can however consider or improve viticulture where it was 
perilous in the past. This is the notorious case today in Ontario and Quebec. 
Thus, the number of wineries is increasing important in Quebec. S'ensuivent 
quantity and the number of wines produced and sold by producers in 
Quebec. 

Since I planted vines in Quebec, the last of my challenges has been the 
physical climate and temperature. However, regulatory hurdles and 
responsiveness of the middle of the distribution were much more stringent 
and frustrating. 

The wines produced in Quebec are sold and are selling quite well. The SAQ 
account of people interested and interesting to note the improvements in 
viticulture from here, many of them have taken the trouble to get in touch 
with the producers and their wines. The distribution of the SAQ 

Still deficient for small producers because of the sheer size of the machine, 
but I am now convinced that we will find solutions in the near future. 

Disrespect wines Quebec 

However, some commentators public in the middle of the press on wine have 
an attitude deeply deplorable. These people have an enormous influence on 
the direction of consumers. Many of them also have the merit of having been 
pioneers, but for reasons difficult to understand, the vineyard Quebecois is 
at the other end of their planet. I should document this attitude. 
Understandably fast enough that I take enormous risks. [...] 

Most recently took place in Montreal the second edition of the Fair wine and 
cheese in Quebec. In the specialized press on wine, not to mention, or very 
little. This ignorance is in the tradition of indifference and contempt that I 
mentioned earlier and I documenterai now more. 

Marc Chapleau, among others editor of the journal Cellier distributed by the 
SAQ, sent an email to all major journalists and commentators wine in 
Quebec protesting against the use of the term "Grands Vins du Québec" to 
describe the contest sponsored by the SAQ. Here is the text of his e-mail. 

"I can see, looking at the invitation sent this morning, that your competition 
is" Grands Vins du Quebec. " Notwithstanding the quality eventually certified 
by the jurors, is not that difficult to leave office so that such "great wine" exist 
in Quebec? Would not, in other words, to rename the competition said to be 
both less presumptuous and more "transparent"? Especially in particular 
against the recent debate we heard last week on the air live de 
Maisonneuve, Radio-Canada. " 

[...] This is not the first time that Mr. Chapleau uses the term "Great wines for 
the wine against Quebec. During a presentation on television a few wines 
from Quebec, it has already begun, saying that Quebec would never 
produce great wines. 

Phrase murders that discredits everything. He did not say what great wines 
and he forgets surely we can drink good wine without drinking great wines. 
Moreover, where there are great wines (I would say most exceptional wines), 
decades and centuries have contributed to their emergence; well malignant 
one that predict what will be the quality of the vineyard of Quebec in a 
hundred years or even in twenty years. 

Murder wine 

But the killing has been completed. Mr. [...] Chapleau is entitled to his tastes 
and it is absolutely free to let us know. But then we enforce them, and 
especially to exclude or want to censor, it is difficult to understand. Normally, 
it does not deserve it over. But Mr. Chapleau is editor of the journal Cellier 
de la SAQ. He warned, with all the power conferred on it by that association 
at the SAQ, his colleagues from the press on wine creating a coalition or a 
cautionary own to maintain and strengthen these attitudes of mistrust and 
contempt. 

Yet history in the wine world teaches us lessons well convincing. During my 
stay in the United States, in the late 60's and early 70, I was put in touch 
with the American wines that my small group of sometimes opposed to 
tasting wines french known. Of course, by commentators and Chapleau 
Americans were the moue désapprobatrice front of the American vineyards. 
One day, an Englishman, Mr. Spurrier, organized a contest to the blind, 
which is now known as the Judgment of Paris. The victory of two American 
wines as it has changed the history of the world of wine. [...] 

The wines are sold in Quebec and we have satisfied customers. In some 
cases, our wines fall above a level more than adequate. In other cases, our 
wines won competitions abroad, or even to the semi-aveugle opposed to 
large french wines. The role of commentators on wine is to know and 
appreciate wines, good wines such as fine wines. Dénigrer by scanning 
unqualified and unsubstantiated has no place. Embrigader his colleagues as 
Mr Chapleau and use its power of the editor of the most prestigious journal 
of the SAQ to warn deserves condemnation, to my peril, I feel obliged to 
denounce
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