Just over 20 years ago, Anthony Carone left a program management position at an international technology company in Montreal to continue his parent’s farming operations full-time. His then finance and now wife, Sarah, an agency marketing director, joined the family initiative and helped build the CARONE brand of wines and spirits to the level of international recognition.
The Lanoraie property was built up from abandoned land purchased in the early 1980s and now features 5 hectares of grapes including the province’s first commercially planted Pinot Noir and Cabernet Severyni varieties, alongside modern American hybrid vines like Marquette and Frontenac. In addition to growing the vineyard plantation, a state-of-the-art production facility (expanded three times) was built to house custom-designed winery-distillery equipment to ensure premium products.
A turnkey winery-distillery, situated less than one hour from Montreal, is a rare and truly unique opportunity,” said Michel Poissant the property’s real estate agent. See the full listing here.
The Carone family started their winery selling a few hundred cases of wine in 2005 with the receipt of their artisanal winemaking permit. Over the years, their efforts received widespread acclaim from wine critics, international chefs, and celebrities across the globe. Their wines were selected to be served to three royal families! With the receipt of their artisanal distillery permit in 2019, they released Quebec’s first grape-based gin, BLACK RAVEN, that attracted a following among collectors and daily drinkers alike.
“Every year we received inquiries asking if the business was for sale and I would answer YES, by the bottle or case. We look forward to seeing the foundation that my family and I created grow under new ownership,” said Anthony Carone, President of CARONE.
“We are ready for a new challenge, but we expect to remain in the industry,” said Sarah Hoodspith, Director at CARONE. She continued: “Both Anthony and I have already acted as consultants to alcohol beverage producers across North America. From planting and production consulting to brand development and content marketing, we’ve done it all. We plan on remaining active in the industry and we’re excited to see continued growth of Quebec made products.”
