Looking for a premium non-alcoholic alternative to wine? Or something fresh, light and refreshing to pair with your meal?
Maison Théier might be just the thing for you.
Benjamin Garant-Pruneau, founder of Maison Théier, is brewing alcohol-free wine made from the finest tea in the world—and is offering free tastings at Time Out Market Montréal this week.
Wash it all down with something delicious from the Market, where the best chefs and restaurants in Montreal are gathered under one roof.
When are the free tastings at Time Out Market Montréal?
Swing by the wine bar on Thursday, July 13 and Friday July 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Time Out Montreal spoke to Benjamin about how to make tea wine, the history behind Maison Théier and the must-taste summer collection.
What is tea wine?
Alcohol-free tea wine is a new product that I created that is based on fermentation of exclusively imported tea from Asia. What we do is we import very high quality tea from terroir in Asia and then we infuse it with high quality water.
We use Esker water that comes from Northern Quebec, add organic cane sugar, the highest quality possible, and then a culture of fermentation. We ferment it to enhance the terroir characteristics in the Laurentians.
How did Maison Théier come to be?
The history of Maison Théier is actually two fundamental motivations. The first was to create a product that was high quality and refined enough to be suitable for the great restaurants and great tables of the world. I haven’t been drinking alcohol for some years now out of choice because I found the effect of alcohol wasn’t as pleasant as it used to be. And I worked in fine French kitchens and found that the non-alcoholic drinks lacked refinement, and I wanted to challenge myself to create something that would be a celebratory beverage.
The other fundamental motivation behind Maison Théier is a path of reliance, which is a bit uncommon, but the company wouldn’t exist without a very traumatic experience in my life. I lost my father, he took his own life during the pandemic, and it was a very traumatic grief. The motivation behind the company was to create something beautiful, and something to look forward to, and to reconnect with life and with people. This is why the values of the company are what they are: celebration of life, refinement and sobriety. It’s a way for me to invite myself into the nicest moments of people's lives and to share those deep moments together.
What do the wines taste like?
The collection for this summer, Millésimes, which will be carried at Time Out Market Montreal, is oriented towards fruity, flowery notes with notes of honey as well. The 5 wines are all very different, some are more on the floral astringent side and others are more on the fruity, dry, buttery side.
Check out Benjamin’s tasting notes and food pairings:
Neige
Notes: A fruity, buttery mellow tea wine with notes of pineapple, mangoes, caramel and a little bit of coconut
Pairing: As an apératif or paired with dessert or Indian food
Déesse
Notes: A dry and tangy tea crémant with notes of cider, orchid flower and acacia honey
Pairing: Something fresh and light like sushi, a salad, some fish or a pizza
Lilas du Japon
Notes: Made with a very special tea that comes from Japan, it’s flowery and astringent with notes of lilac, lily of the valley and white peach
Pairing: Sashimi or a poke bowl
Magnolia Sauvage
Notes: Round and tannic with notes of figs, magnolia and clover honey
Pairing: An Italian salad with arugula, parmesan and balsamic vinegar
Printemps
Notes: Fresh and light, with notes of pear, vanilla, gardenia flower and wild honey
Pairing: A creamy pasta or a smooth, delicate sauce
For more information about Maison Théier, click here.
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