Pontiac Wine & Cider Tour: 12 Tastings, Family Mills

Taste wine and cider at three family mills without leaving the driving to chance

A full-day wine and cider tasting tour from Ottawa and Gatineau to Pontiac, visiting three family-run wineries and cider mills for 12 tastings, a tour of the production process, lunch and snacks, with hotel pickup and an air-conditioned vehicle included. The guide speaks English and French, and the owners host you at each stop so the experience stays personal instead of commercial.

Step-by-step itinerary

Wine and cider tasting tour

• Visit family-run winery and vintage car museum
• Enjoy 3 wine tastings
• Tour winery and taste 5 wines
• Eat cheese and charcuterie board
• Tour cider mill and historic dance hall
• Taste hard, hopped, and sweet cider
• Enjoy apple pie or apple crumble

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your Ottawa or Gatineau hotel and a drive into the Pontiac region, where the first stop is a family-run winery that also houses a vintage car museum. You'll taste three wines there, then move to the second location for a full winery tour followed by five more tastings paired with a cheese and charcuterie board. The third stop is the centerpiece: a cider mill housed in a 1930s dance hall, where you'll sample hard cider, hopped cider and sweet cider, tour the production room, and eat apple pie or apple crumble in the historic hall itself. Throughout the day, the guide handles all the driving and explains the history of the region and how each product gets made.

What sets this tour apart is that every stop is family-owned and the owners are there to host you, not staff. You're not moving through a commercial tasting room; you're in someone's business, and they shape the experience around who shows up that day. The air-conditioned vehicle means you can taste without worrying about the drive back, and lunch and snacks are included so you're not hunting for food between stops. The guide speaks both English and French, so the commentary is accessible no matter which language you prefer.

What’s included

• Twelve tastings of wine and cider across three family-run locations.
• a full tour of the second winery and the cider mill production room.
• lunch with a cheese and charcuterie board at the second stop and apple pie or apple crumble at the cider mill.
• snacks throughout the day.
• hotel pickup and drop-off from Ottawa or Gatineau.
• air-conditioned vehicle and driver.
• guide commentary in English or French.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Aventure Outaouais

Is this one for you?If you speak French or English, the guide's commentary will be in your language, so you'll follow the history and the process at each stop without translation lag. The seven-hour commitment means you'll have time at each family mill instead of a rushed tasting, and the pickup from your hotel removes the logistics of getting to Pontiac and back safely after tastings.

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Top questions

How many tastings do I get on the Pontiac wine and cider tour?

You'll have 12 tastings total across the three stops: three wines at the first winery, five wines at the second, and four ciders (hard, hopped and sweet varieties) at the cider mill.

What's included in the lunch on this tour?

The second stop includes a cheese and charcuterie board served with the wine tastings. At the cider mill, you'll get apple pie or apple crumble. Snacks and the vehicle are also included throughout the day.

Does the tour pick me up from my hotel?

Yes, pickup and drop-off are included from any Ottawa or Gatineau hotel. The guide will arrange the time when you book.

What is the 1930s dance hall at the cider mill?

The cider mill is located inside a historic dance hall that dates back to the 1930s. You'll tour the production room and then taste the ciders in the hall itself, which is part of the family business and gives the stop its character.

How long is the full day tour?

The tour runs for seven hours from pickup to drop-off, so plan for a full afternoon and early evening out of your day.

What language is the guide commentary in?

The guide speaks both English and French, so you can follow the commentary and the explanations about winemaking and cider production in whichever language you prefer.