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Québec in 1709 and a Random Vineyard Update

Okay, so this map has really tiny print, but if you have French-Canadian heritage, then you must visit this link to magnify the land plots. Perhaps you will find some of your ancestors! Just note that the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec reconfigured its online catalog around the time of this article, so the link may only work on a laptop or desktop. Cell phones seem to have issues with retrieving the map.


While this map may not show the location of gardens and vineyards, you can easily compare this map to current maps, and you will notice that many of the land plots follow the same lines today. It is an unbelievable amount of detail, especially considering it was drawn in 1709 by Jean Baptiste Decouagne. The official title of the map, translated by the Bibliothéque et Archives Nationale du Québec, is given as follows:


Map of the government of Québec : raised in the year 1709 by the orders of the Monseigneur the Count of Pontchartrain, commander of the orders of the king, minister and secretary of estat, by the S. Catalonia, lieutenant of the troops, and drawn by Jean Bt. Decouagne.


Meanwhile, back to today's times in the neighboring United States, this dry summer has not affected grape production (yet?), based on a quick visit to the vines. The first sign of veraison, which refers to the color changing due to ripening, is evident on the seedless variety known as Mars.

Ripening Mars Grapes

This variety seemed reluctant to appear this year, but it is known to be one of the last varieties to bud out. Now it is the first to ripen! Perhaps there is a life lesson nestled within these grapes.


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