Daniel Lalande
Vignoble Rivière du Chêne | Saint-Eustache
Vignoble La Cantina, Vallée d’Oka | Oka
Daniel Lalande is the owner and vintner of two Laurentian-area wineries: VIGNOBLE RIVIÈRE DU CHÊNE in Saint-Eustache and Vignoble LA CANTINA, VALLÉE D’OKA in Oka.
Daniel hails from a proud line of farmers and entrepreneurs (Cabane à sucre Lalande, Canada’s oldest sugar shack, belonged to his great-grandparents). He discovered winemaking during a student internship in Toulouse, in southern France.
« I always expected to take over the sugar shack,» recalls Daniel. «I did work there for a while, but then in 1996, after visiting several winemaking operations in Quebec – including L’Orpailleur in Dunham, I began to dream of starting my own vineyard on our family property. »
After careful consideration, Daniel took the leap, planting the first grapevines on his land in Saint-Eustache in 1998. Three years later, the VIGNOBLE RIVIÈRE DU CHÊNE was open for business.
In 2015, he acquired an old dairy farm in Oka, where the soil was well suited to cultivating varieties of Vitis vinifera, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. With boldness and vision, Daniel set out to make his mark on the Quebec wine industry.
With nearly 55 hectares of vineyards spread across two estates, cultivating over 25 grape varieties, a range of 23 Quebec IGP wines, and a production expected to exceed 500,000 bottles by 2025, Daniel Lalande actively contributes to the development and growth of Quebec’s wine industry. “Being a winemaker is a way of life,” he agrees. “It’s demanding, often tough, but oh so exciting!”
Wines from the VIGNOBLE RIVIÈRE DU CHÊNE and Vignoble LA CANTINA, VALLÉE D’OKA are available at SAQ outlets, specialty boutiques and grocery stores.
