Everything you need to know about the IGP Vin du Québec…
The membership criteria
KEY FACTORS TO KNOW
BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH CERTIFICATION
Specifications document
The specifications document is the main reference tool to guide you throughout the certification process. Any winegrower who wishes to obtain the IGP Vin du Québec designation must first read it.
Beyond the initial reading, it is essential to consult the specifications document each year, before beginning a new certification process. Adjustments or clarifications may be made from one year to the next.
It is each winegrower’s responsibility to ensure that their practices comply with the current version.
DOWNLOAD THE SPECIFICATIONS DOCUMENT:
GRAPHIC STANDARDS GUIDE FOR THE LOGO:
THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS IN 10 STEPS
1 – Certification application with Ecocert
Fill out the short form Short form available on Ecocert’s website (see the ‘REQUEST A QUOTE IN 5 MINUTES’ section). This form does not commit you to anything; you will simply be contacted to continue the discussion.
2 – First contact with Ecocert
An Ecocert expert will contact you and inform you of the required documents that you need to provide to begin the process.
3 – Vineyard audit by Ecocert
An Ecocert inspector will schedule an audit of your vineyard. The inspector will assess whether your wine production process complies with the required standards.
4 – Ecocert inspector’s report
Following the Ecocert audit, a decision will be made and sent to you. If any issues need to be corrected, you simply need to inform Ecocert of the adjustments you will make. These corrections must be implemented before the certification of the final product(s).
5 – Grape harvest
A few weeks before your harvest, your agronomist (if you don’t have one, you must appoint one) must estimate the upcoming harvest, including the vineyard areas. This assessment must be submitted to Ecocert in Au Champ.
Afterwards, you harvest your grapes and produce your wine, ensuring that the final product complies with the requirements outlined in the specifications document.
6 – Chemical analysis of your wine
You must have your wine analyzed at one of the three laboratories recognized under the IGP framework:
SAQ Laboratory
7500, rue Tellier, Montréal, H1N 3W5
Attn: Quality Management Service/Laboratory
Samples for analysis – Terroir Producers
qualite.info@saq.qc.ca
1 514 254-6000, post 6149
ŒnoScience
2050, rue Dandurand Bureau 308
Montréal (Québec) H2G 1Y9
Mostilab
6865, route 132 Ville Sainte-Catherine
(Québec)
J5C 1B6
IMPORTANT
When requesting an analysis from your supplier, you must explicitly mention that you require the IGP analysis – a requirement outlined in the specifications document.
7 – Organoleptic evaluation – registration with the accreditation committee
At this stage, the wine undergoes an organoleptic evaluation. This quality control ensures that the final product is free of defects.
You must register your wine with the approval committee, then submit your chemical analyses (with the IGP mention) along with wine samples (3 bottles of 750 ml or 4 bottles of 375 ml).
8 – Approval committee results
Within 3 days of the organoleptic evaluation, you will be contacted by the approval committee, who will inform you whether your wine has been accepted or not. If not, you will receive an explanation. You may present your wine at a future approval committee session.
The results are confidential for each vineyard. A wine can be presented up to two times.
9 – Approval of your labels
You must have your labels approved by Ecocert, which ensures their compliance as outlined in the specifications document, either at their initial issuance or after any major modifications.
IMPORTANT
It is strongly recommended to have your labels approved. BEFORE printing, or as early as possible. This greatly reduces the risk of delaying the receipt of the certificate required for market launch.
Minor modifications
Minor modifications to your labels (such as alcohol content, vintage, format, lot number, barcode) do not require approval by Ecocert.
10 – Issuance of the certificate
At this stage, you will have:
Ecocert will issue your certificate within 72 hours.
Once you have your certificate in hand, you can begin selling your product proudly displaying its IGP Vin du Québec certification.
THE COSTS
Annual fees:
Upon membership or renewal, Ecocert provides a price list for the current vintage. The rates for the 2024 vintage are currently under review.
| Certification by Ecocert | 1420,00$/Year – for the 2024 vintage |
| Approval committee management fees | 150,00$/Wine presented to the committee |
Discounts for winemaker members of the Conseil des vins du Québec (CVQ):
Additional fees:
If necessary, Ecocert may charge for certain items*:
| Postal delivery of certification documents (inspection report, certification decision, and certificate). |
Postal fee + 5,00$ |
| Validation of your label(s) (starting from the 2nd year of certification). | 75,00$/hr |
| Duplicate certification documents | 25,00$ |
| Name change on the certificate, addition of trademarks | 25,00$ |
| Additional visit during the year (if required). | 400,00$ |
| Additional work time required for your file (addition of new products to the certificate, special research or analysis, responding to a subpoena, etc.) |
75,00$/hr |
IMPORTANT
The above fees are for the 2024 vintage. In the event of any discrepancy between these amounts and those provided by Ecocert, the latter will take precedence.
RENEWAL
With each vintage, you must follow the steps of the IGP certification process:
At the beginning of September each year, Ecocert will send you an email to confirm whether you wish to continue with the IGP designation for at least one of your products. This is also when the accreditation fees are invoiced (during the pricing update), and the information regarding the documentation to be provided is sent.
Approval committee
Detailed guide to register a wine for organoleptic evaluation
Beforehand, you must:
- Validate the submission deadlines/strong> of the upcoming approval committees
- “Ensure that you have a access to the Au Champ website – which will allow you to register for the approval committees (contact info@vinsduquebec.ca if you do not have access)
- Have on hand the technical datasheets (for each of the wines submitted)
- Have on hand the results of IGP chemical analysis results (for each of the wines submitted) – with the IGP mention
Registration of your wines:
For each of the wines submitted, you must:
- Complete the required form on Au Champ
- Submit your technical datasheets on Au Champ
- Submit your IGP chemical analysis results – with the IGP mention – on Au Champ
- Send your wine samples
Note: For an orange wine or an unfiltered wine, it is mandatory to indicate this.
BOTTLES/QUANTITIES TO SEND:
For each product submitted, you must send:
2 bottles of 750 ml or 3 bottles of 375 ml
It is required to send 2 bottles because one (1) bottles are for the IGP approval committee, and one (1) bottle is for the SAQ.
DELIVERY ADDRESS FOR THE BOTTLES:
Quality Management Service/Laboratory
Samples for the Approval Committee – IGP
1501 Rue des Futailles, Montréal, QC H1N 3P1 – RÉCEPTION DES COLIS
Opening Hours for Parcel Reception:
Monday to Thursday: 7:15 AM to 12:00 PM | 12:45 PM to 4:15 PM
Friday: 7:15 AM to 11:45 AM
IDENTIFICATION OF THE BOTTLES, AS WELL AS THE BOXES, AS FOLLOWS:
1. IGP Vin du Québec Approval Committee
2. Product name
3. Producer name
4. Category
5. Vintage
SUBMISSION DEADLINES FOR SENDING YOUR BOTTLES
It is crucial to adhere to these deadlines for sending your bottles to the SAQ.
REMINDER:
For registering your products in Au Champ, submitting technical datasheets, and chemical analyses, it is essential to respect the deadlines outlined in the specifications document.
Failure to meet these deadlines will result in your wines being tasted at the following approval committee
TO IGP WINEMAKERS: KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER!
Here are the 6 key elements you must pay close attention to. These are the most common issues that cause delays in the process.
1 | Respect the submission deadlines for the approval committees
When registering a wine for the approval committee (organoleptic evaluation), you must respect the submission deadlines, both for sending your bottles and for registering in Au Champ.
2 | Have your labels approved in advance
It is strongly recommended to have your labels approved as early as possible. As soon as you have your labels, you can contact Ecocert for pre-approval. This greatly reduces the risk of delaying the receipt of your certificate, which is required for market launch.
3 | Pay attention to optional mentions
In Tables 6 and 7 of the specifications document (pages 22 and 23) , the optional mentions for your bottle labels are listed. This means that it is up to the vineyard to decide whether or not to include these mentions. However, it is important to know that if they are used, they become certification requirements that must be respected, controlled, and validated (by Ecocert, RACJ, or SAQ, depending on the type of mention).
Examples of optional mentions:
4 | Be sure to mention ‘IGP’ to your laboratory when requesting your chemical analyses.
When requesting your analysis (whether from MostiLab, ŒnoScience, or SAQ), YOU MUST MENTION TO THE LABORATORY THAT YOU REQUIRE THE IGP ANALYSIS – so that it is indicated on the analysis report. This mention is often omitted by many winemakers.
5 | Don’t forget to upload your chemical analyses in Au Champ.
When registering your wine for an approval committee in ‘Au Champ,’ it is important to upload the chemical analyses within the required deadlines.
6 | Follow the guidelines for the IGP logo on your labels
As stated in the mandatory labeling requirements (specifications document: Table 5 on page 21), the IGP logo must be placed on the capsule, on the bottle label, or as a medallion. It must be black on white or reversed, and must comply with the graphic standards outlined in the CARTV logo guide.
IMPORTANT
Do you wish to modify your label or develop new labeling? Provide your graphic designer with the IGP Vin du Québec specifications document AND the graphic standards guide from the outset (see here).
THE STAKEHOLDERS BEHIND IGP VIN DU QUÉBEC
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Owner
The Loi sur les appellations réservées et les termes valorisants (LARTV) grants the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPAQ) the authority to recognize or cancel reserved designations, as well as to define the standards that products must meet. Therefore, the Minister is the “owner” of the reserved designations.
Council of Reserved Appellations and Valorisant Terms
The Guardian
The Council of Reserved Appellations and Valorisant Terms (CARTV) is the government-appointed organization responsible for enforcing the law within Quebec. It acts on behalf of the Minister. One of its missions is to maintain the distinctive nature and credibility of the designations. CARTV provides the expertise and legal framework for updating and approving the specifications document. It also monitors the use of designations in the market and accredits certification organizations.
Ecocert Canada
The Certifier
Appointed by CARTV, Ecocert Canada is the certification body responsible for ensuring the strict application of the standards set forth in the specifications document. This includes receiving IGP membership applications from winemakers, approving (or rejecting) labels, conducting follow-ups with winemakers, and more.
Conseil des vins du Québec
The Collaborator
Le Conseil des vins du Québec (CVQ) works to defend the interests of winemakers to help grow the industry, particularly in relation to issues concerning IGP Vin du Québec. The CVQ collaborates with winemakers by offering support and guidance on IGP Vin du Québec matters. It is also responsible for managing and coordinating the approval committees. Additionally, the CVQ works with CARTV to improve the designation and suggest updates to the specifications document.
