New Nova Scotia Winery Launches Along the Acadian Shore
BAIE SAINTE-MARIE, N.S.— The process took eight long years and much hard work and sweat. But last week, three childhood friends from rural Nova Scotia officially launched their own wine company ‘Maison Meuse & Fils,’ which features their bottle of L’Acadie Blanc 2020.
“Our L’Acadie Blanc shows all the qualities of a crisp and refreshing Nova Scotia White Wine,” reads a description on the company’s website. “With hints of citrus, white pear and tropical fruit, our wine also carries a minerality that is almost saline.”
After just a single day, Maison Meuse sold nearly 40 per ent of their L’Acadie Blanc stock. It’s an early result that has the founders Daniel Surette, Marcelle LeBlanc, and her husband Alec Leblanc excited about the future.
“I achieved probably my biggest life accomplishment or dream,” says an excited Marcelle LeBlanc.
But it took the three winemakers nearly a decade before they could celebrate. Their journey began back in 2012 when Marcelle and Alec bought a seven-acre property in Baie Sainte-Marie, Nova Scotia. Surette was visiting the new place when he saw the potential out in the field.
“We’re having a couple of drinks. I’m looking at this field and thinking ‘we could probably put some grapes in here, it’s a big field,” recalls Surette.
“They kind of laughed it off, and a week later they called me a said ‘you think we could do wine?’”
For Marcelle, this was a chance of achieving the dream of running her own business. She received a business degree years ago but was still looking for a plan that would work.
“I’ve always wanted to own my own business. It just kind of never worked out with business plan after business plan,” she explained.
The LeBlanc’s dove headfirst into the world of winemaking. They did a bunch of online research and even did a grape-growing course at NSCC.
After years of amending the soil, the three founders first planted red marechal foche grapes. But the results weren’t as they hoped.
“We’re in a new region where no one else was growing grapes, so a lot of the recommendations were to plant a very hardy red grape variety, which did great. We still have them and they’re spectacular,” said Surette.
“But the problem with the red marechal foche is it doesn’t make the best wine. And Nova Scotia is a cool, white wine climate.”
So, the group made a tough decision to rip out most of what they had already worked so hard on planting. They decided to replant with L’Acadie Blanc- a grape that was man-made in 1953. It was a difficult decision to start over again.
“That was very, very difficult decision. It was, again, painful,” says Marcelle LeBlanc.
But now, after years of growing grapes, and fermenting wine, the three childhood friends have a savoury creation to call their own.
Most of their early sales have been online, but a restaurant in Windsor, NS, is carrying it on their menu. LeBlanc is currently working on having a restaurant in Downtown Halifax carry their L’Acadie Blanc 2020 as well.
Surette and the LeBlanc’s plan on expanding their business quickly in the coming years. Marcelle envisions having a tasting room and restaurant on their property someday, and maybe a little retail outlet. Surette, meanwhile, is excited about introducing a couple new products, including a sparkling wine, in 2022.