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Maria Jose de Frias is the chef and co founder of Le Virunga restaurant in Montreal. Of Congolese and Portuguese descent, she grew up between multiple cultures before settling in Quebec. After an initial career in fashion in Europe, she eventually followed her passion for cooking and opened Le Virunga with her daughter Zoya in 2016. Maria Jose highlights the flavours of sub Saharan Africa through Quebec ingredients, offering warm, contemporary and uniquely expressive cuisine.
Domaine Oak Hill is a vineyard nestled in the township of Melbourne, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Founded about ten years ago by Louise Macdonald and Sylvain Lalonde, the estate stands out for its organic and biodynamic viticulture, producing wines exclusively from northern hybrid grape varieties adapted to Quebec’s climate. Their farming practices promote biodiversity and soil health. The winemaking approach is natural, with no oenological additives or preservatives, and no intervention or manipulation of the wine in the cellar. It is a truly healthy and sustainable vineyard project.