Our Story

The pioneer passion and determination still flow in our veins

Domaine Labranche starts with the story of the Desgroseilliers family, fueled by the daily passion and fun as eight generations worked the land of Quebec’s Roussillon region.

The family members have the true character of their proud ancestor Médard Chouart des Groseilliers, an adventurer with legendary bravery, a trapper and reckless traveler. He led the first ship that reached Hudson Bay by the northern sea routes. Back from this successful mission in 1670, he was instrumental in creating the Hudson Bay Company.

After the British conquest in 1772, Joseph Prosper, great-grandson of Médard, moved his family close to St. Isidore where now, much like the first settlers, he devoted himself passionately to agriculture.

Pleasures to share

Over the generations, the Desgroseilliers family diversified its agricultural activities to share the fruits of their labour with the general public. In the 1920s, in every spring, Victor tapped maple trees located on his land to produce maple syrup for his family and some grocery stores in Montreal. The maple business became so big that Victor built a small shack in the middle of the sugar bush, a friendly gathering place in which to receive family and friends. This is the spirit that still persists today, at the Labranche sugar shack.

But why stop there? From the branch whence the sap flows in the spring, there are vines and apples that bear their fruit in the fall.

From the spirit of the most recent generation born in 2009, the Domaine Labranche now includes the maple sugar business, a cider mill and winery, where liquor is now produced from the fertile lands of St. Isidore, where you’ll find unique products that highlight the uniqueness of Quebec lands.
True to their origins, the Desgroseilliers family deepen their skills, working in harmony with nature, and continue on their quest to introduce and offer high-quality innovative products.

CULTIVATING NATURE
Sugar shack / Apple orchard / Winery