An evening with winemaker Geneviève Thisdel
On September 25, as part of the UCI Road World Championships Montréal 2026, the Restaurant de l’ITHQ welcomes Geneviève Thisdel, the winemaker behind En roue libre, whose wines have been selected as the official wines of the Championships.
For the occasion, our culinary team will serve a five-course tasting menu designed to pair with a selection of En roue libre wines. Geneviève will be on hand to present her wines, share her approach to winemaking and tell the story of the journey that took her from the roads of Quebec to the vineyards of Beaujolais—and eventually back to Quebec.
An evening that brings together around the same table the winemaker’s two great passions: wine and cycling.
About Geneviève Thisdel and En roue libre
Originally from Quebec City, Geneviève Thisdel has won several cycling medals, including gold at the 2011 Canadian Road Championships.
Geneviève’s passion for wine took root at age 18, when she travelled to France to work the harvest in the small Beaujolais village of Vauxrenard. Years later, she returned to France to study viticulture and oenology before producing her first wines on a vineyard plot in that very same village from 2015 to 2018.
After returning to Quebec in 2019, she continued her journey as a winemaker and created En roue libre, a project that brings together her two passions: wine and cycling. A former road cyclist, Geneviève sees the same pursuit of freedom, enjoyment, creativity and pushing one’s limits in both worlds—a philosophy reflected even in the labels on her bottles.
Practical information
Dates
Friday, September 25, 2026 (Dinner service)
Price
Five-course tasting menu – $125
Wine pairing – +$65
Menu
Start Line
Rimouski Sea Urchin Cream
1st Stage
Pan-seared foie gras, sour cherry gel, butter brioche, bitter greens
Pit Stop in 2 Courses
Cranberry-stuffed guinea fowl ballotine, rich green alder jus, glazed carrots
Pan-seared blood sausage, Concord grape gel, black garlic, Brussels sprouts
2nd Stage
Whipped beurasse, our terrace-grown pears, oat tuile
Finish Line
Almond cake, whipped cream, orange granita