"Chapelle Ste. Agnes, on the Quebec/Vermont border," Larry said, "is an inspiration for cold-climate vineyards, a real-life fairy tale. It is viticultural eye-candy and food for the soul. Owner Henrietta Antony and her son John have created an oasis for escapists from the 21st century. And wait until you taste their Late Harvest and Icewine!"

I quickly accepted, knowing the 15-hour drive would prove exhausting. We set out at 4:00 a.m. By early afternoon we arrived in Montreal to pick up two more wine enthusiasts and were heading into wine country within the hour.

Not much had changed in the last ten years with respect to the countryside. The Eastern Townships remains as romantic and picturesque as ever. Lush farms, rolling hills, blue lakes and flourishing fruit farms and vineyards grace the landscape. It's no surprise that this region is nicknamed the 'francophone New England'.

While Chapelle Ste. Agnes was our final destination, Larry insisted we experience the region's viticultural scene. This would help us appreciate the dedication and passion of its fledgling wine industry.

"Quebec is beginning to make excellent dessert wines and growing new grape varieties that can withstand their harsh winters," Patterson explained. "So, to really appreciate Quebec wines, you have to understand the challenges wine growers and winemakers face."

With no objection, our road trip included a detour to A & M Viticulture in Brigham, owned by viticulturalist Alain Breault. Hippy-like and humble, Breault planted the first vineyards for Vignoble de l'Orpailleur in Dunham, in 1982 and has been on the cutting edge of grape growing for the past two decades. He now grows and experiments with American hybrid varieties, such as Sabrevois and St. Croix, which comes from Elmer Swenson Vineyards and the Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota.

As I learned more than a decade ago, Quebec's wineries focus on growing French hybrid vines, such as Seyval Blanc, de Chaunac, Maréchal Foch, and Chancellor. A few wineries have been successful at keeping their vitis vinifera, such as Chardonnay and Riesling, alive despite the harsh winters.

Patterson went on. "The vinifera grapes are the most susceptible to fungus and winter damage. and so very few are planted. The wine growers bere focus on French hybrid varieties because they produce more consistently from year to year. They can withstand winter temperatures as low as minus 30.

Even though hardier in nature, French hybrids are still vulnerable to winter conditions. For this reason, Alain Breault is researching and doing trials with American ones and their hardiness in the face of severe winter conditions. In general, wine growers have experimented by burying the vines with straw. While keeping vines warm, this method also attracts mice benefiting from a winter-long banquet of straw and vine buds.

Vines have also been buried in dirt. When the soil dampens, the vines rot and buds develop fungus. And while burying in snow insulates and is the most cost effective method, Mother Nature doesn't always feel like producing snowflakes, making it a risky protection method. Despite the setbacks and challenges, Quebec's winegrowers are determined to find the right vines for their climate.

Vignoble Le Royer St-Pierre in Napierville was our next stop. Grower and winemaker Robert Le Royer is much bolder and outspoken than Breault and is intimately known in the industry as 'Papa Grape'. Le Royer proudly introduced us to his Givre Noir. Named after the black frost of 1998, this red wine is produced from one of the new American hybrids, called St. Croix, grown in his vineyard.

"What I love is that St. Croix is fantastic in the vineyard. We were under the impression that this variety was very resistant to winter injury. But it is more vulnerable than we expected. It can handle minus 25 but not minus 30-degree temperatures. But it is a dependable crop and makes a beautiful wine by itself. I produce 100 per cent St. Croix. I put it into French oak to provide some more tannin. Due to our cool climate the grapes don't produce enough natural tannin."

Le Royer says that St. Croix is particular about its conditions - more so than people first thought. For example, he believes this American hybrid produces better wines in a sandy soil. So, he says, the experimentation continues.

By mid afternoon we were back on the road, heading for Chapelle Ste. Agnes. We continued on winding roads, heading down steep hillsides, along valley floors and up again into the Sutton Mountains. We finally arrived at a property in the Missisquoi Valley near Glen Sutton, just north of the Quebec-Vermont border. Vignoble Chapelle Ste. Agnes, with its stonewall surroundings, looked impressive.

Co-owner John, son of Henrietta Antony, greeted us. Looking lean and clean and possessing the stature of European royalty, John shook our hands, graciously welcoming us to his home.

I now understood why Larry had insisted on my participation in this road trip. Vignoble Chapelle Ste. Agnes was... well, magical. The amphitheatre style vineyard of vinifera and French hybrids stepped down into a valley. On the valley floor lay a small, man-made lake reflecting the magnificent forests of the Sutton Mountain range.

"The work on the vineyard started in 1997 and the first plantings (Riesling) started in 1998," Antonv said. guiding us through the vineyard. ~The vineyard experiences some advantages. We have the altitude. We are able to avoid frosts in May and October. This allows us to extend our growing season by a precious couple of weeks."

Single stakes support the vines rather than trellises, and so I asked Antony about this system.

"We disbanded the trellises on the advice of our pickers who prefer to work with the stakes," he explained. "We also removed the laterals, and 60 per cent of the grape clusters, to improve the quality of the remaining grapes."

Thousands of tons of boulders, rocks and stones are other tools in the vineyard's arsenal. The rocks are strategically placed throughout the property, emitting heat. It helps in creating a microclimate around the vines during the severely cold winters.

Chapelle Ste. Agnes focuses on the production of Late Harvest and Icewine, which are highly aromatic. Antony says that it is not difficult to produce quality Late Harvest or Icewine. It is just expensive, due to the cost of the winter protection methods.

"Our vineyard consultant/winemaker, Christian Barthomeuf, mentioned the idea of wrapping geocloth around the vines and stake, and then tightening it with a type of 'tough tie' - one near the top and the other near the bottom. Part of the strip of geocloth is folded to give extra protection to the bottom of the vine."

John's fairy-tale home sits atop the hill, overlooking the sloping vineyard. There is also a masterful 12th century stone chapel recreated on the property. The walls were erected by Brittany's Master Mason, Michel Dodier; the framework by Master Carpenter Thieny Pautard. Marc Guillemjouan, Master Slate Worker, built the magnificent slate roof. Inside, the chapel is filled with religious antique paraphernalia collected by mother Henrietta Antony, an antique dealer who started the winery with her son.

The Chapelle Ste. Agnes' first bottling took place not too long ago, in Julv 2003. It included the 2001 Vidal Icewine, the 2001 Late Harvest Geisenhim and 2002 Gewurztraminer and 2002 Vidal.

Unfortunately for the time being. John Antony plans to sell most of their wines on the premises, through private tours. The winery, a jewel in the Eastern Townships, is not open to the public. I'm glad I got to see it.

> Vignoble Le Royer St-Pierre Reserve Givre Noir 2002
Red brick in colour with a forward nose offering ripe berries with hints of leather in the background. Medium-bodied, the palate has cranberry flavours with good acidity and soft tannins. An excellent red for spicy, tomato sauce pasta.

> Vignoble Le Royer St-Pierre Le Lambertois 1998
Deep ruby red, with forward, lush blackberries on the nose. Full-bodied with good structure, sour cherries and longevity. Another red with enough acidity and soft tannins to pair with spicy dishes.

> Chapelle Ste. Agnes Geisenheim Vendage Tardive 2001
A forward nose of fresh tangerines. The palate is big and lush with pink grapefruit and peach flavours. Ideal with something as simple as slices of fresh melon.

> Chapelle Ste. Agnes Vidal Icewine 2001
A light nose of peaches. Rich, dried fruit in the mouth make it an excellent partner for fruit-based desserts.

> Chapelle Ste. Agnes Gewurztraminer Icewine 2002
Deep golden in colour, this wine swirls with wonderful, rich, sweet caramel and apples in the bouquet. The palate has an excellent balance of richness, sweetness and good acidity that work well together. Fresh ripe, juicy peaches is the primary flavour.

Chapelle Ste. Agnes Vidal Icewine 2002
Deep gold in colour, this Icewine is more concentrated than the 2001 vintage. It has a forward nose of toffee. The palate is rich and lush with ripe pineapple. An excellent balance of richness and acidity.

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