Vignoble Coteau St-Paul: A Story of Passion
Nicolas Pomerleau has always wanted to live off the land – at just 12 years old, he was already working on a farm with horses and oxen. Today, he is the owner of Vignoble Coteau St-Paul, which he purchased with his family in 2018.
A graduate of the Institut de technologie agroalimentaire (ITA) in Saint-Hyacinthe, Nicolas Pomerleau first developed an interest in horticulture before specializing in agroeconomics at Université Laval. Throughout his studies, the young man spent his summers and weekends working at Vignoble Coteau Saint-Paul in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford, which was then owned by Jean-Guy Gosselin. He quickly fell in love with the place, and after about ten years, the owner shared his retirement plans and offered Nicolas the opportunity to take over the business.
“I was 25 and didn’t have much savings… I had my apartment furniture, my car, and my pants,” Nicolas jokes. “Still, I had a solid foundation in agriculture and farm management, so I asked my parents—who had just retired—if they wanted to get involved.” Without much hesitation, the Pomerleau family entered negotiations and eventually bought the vineyard.
“We changed everything: when we bought it, it was mainly an orchard,” explains the entrepreneur. “Today, about 70% of the land is dedicated to vines and 30% to apple trees.” Mr. Gosselin had started the vineyard project and planted around 15,000 vines, which the new owners expanded to 20,000.
As co-owner, Nicolas wears many hats but mainly oversees administrative management and production. He is supported by a small team to whom he can delegate certain responsibilities. Although his parents still hold shares, his mother now enjoys a well-earned retirement on a family property in the Eastern Townships. His father Normand, meanwhile, still comes to help one day a week and continues to play a guiding role in the business.
A New Look
“Our first harvest was the 2016 vintage,” the winemaker recalls. Two years later, in 2018, Vignoble Coteau St-Paul got a complete brand makeover. “I worked with Mathieu Chartrand, an illustrator and tattoo artist, to redesign all our bottle labels.”
In addition to wine and ice cider—which was already being produced by the former owner—the Pomerleaus decided to develop new beverages, such as ready-to-drink flavored ciders. They now grow 11 hybrid wine grape varieties and 15 varieties of table grapes.
Five years ago, the vineyard took a turn toward organic practices, both in the fields and in the cellar. “In 2020, we stopped using synthetic products,” says Nicolas “Insecticides, fungicides—everything that’s off-limits in organic farming.” As a father of three young children, he wants them to grow up on clean land. “I don’t want to tell my kids: ‘You can’t play outside because Daddy sprayed poison.’ We grow grapes and apples you can eat, but we spray poison on them? That makes no sense.”
The Richness of the Terroir
Preserving the land was also a major reason why Nicolas wanted to implement organic practices at the vineyard, which is located on the southern slope of Mount Yamaska—a “stronghold of biodiversity,” as he puts it. “It’s a beautiful forest of mature trees. There are tons of birds, insects—even dragonfly species you won’t find anywhere else in Quebec!”
The terroir is especially well-suited to viticulture, with loamy and gravelly soil—remnants of the ancient Champlain Sea—and warm air currents that help dry the vines and prevent excess humidity.
Nicolas notes that the vineyard is constantly evolving and that more projects are in the works, including the expansion of agritourism offerings. Still, visitors can already enjoy apple and grape picking and have a drink at the vineyard’s small wine bar. You can also bring a picnic, buy a bottle from the shop, and enjoy it at the charming lookout the Pomerleaus built on their land. “We’ve got a full view of the Bromont, Orford, and Sutton mountains in the distance and the surrounding farmland,” Nicolas says.
Most of the products are available through grocery stores and wine shops, while a few of Vignoble Coteau St-Paul’s offerings are sold at the SAQ. Some of the more niche products, like their ice apple mistelle, are available exclusively at their boutique in Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford.
