Quebec Police Seize 8,000 Bottles of Altar Wine in April 2021 Raid

When Alain Denis, general manager of Bertrand, Foucher, Bélanger Inc., heard that almost 8,000 bottles of altar wine had been taken by police, he was as stunned as anyone else in the province.

The seizure happened during the April 9, 2021 anti‑smuggling raidsQuebec, a coordinated operation that hit several cities, including Montreal. Sandra Dion, spokesperson for the Quebec City Police Department, confirmed the raids to the Catholic News Service.

What made the raid so shocking? Quebec law forbids importing alcoholic products across provincial borders for commercial resale, and the wine in question had been shipped from California, through Ontario or New Brunswick, before arriving in Quebec. The provincial liquor monopoly, Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), does not stock communion wine, so for decades suppliers skated around the rule by using a multi‑province supply chain.

Background: How Quebec’s Liquor Laws Shaped Sacramental Wine Supply

Quebec’s liquor regime is famously strict. Since the 1970s the SAQ has held a monopoly on all alcoholic sales, and its charter of products excludes anything meant for religious rites. That gap created a niche market for a handful of specialist importers who quietly moved bottles across provinces. The practice was never officially sanctioned, but it went unchallenged—until a new wave of anti‑smuggling officials decided to enforce the old statutes.

For Catholic churches, the impact was immediate. A typical parish needs a few dozen bottles for a year; when the supply vanished, priests were left staring at empty sacristies. The shortage highlighted how a legal loophole, once tolerated, could become a point of crisis when enforcement priorities shift.

The April 9, 2021 Raids and Immediate Fallout

Police swooped on warehouses and distribution centres in Montreal, Quebec City, and three smaller towns. The warrant text, according to the department, specified that the accused had “imported wine from other provinces without a licence, in violation of the Act respecting the Société des alcools du Québec.” The seized stock came from two Californian producers: Mont La Salle Altar Wines and Cribari Premium Altar Wines.

Nearly 8,000 bottles vanished overnight, enough to keep the entire province supplied for several months. Within hours, diocesan offices were flooded with frantic calls from priests asking, “Where will we get wine for Easter?” The shortage was felt most acutely in rural parishes that depend on a single supplier.

• 8,000 bottles seized
• Two California producers targeted
• Three major cities raided
• SAQ offered a 17% discount on approved wines

The police also confiscated paperwork that revealed how long the grey‑market network had been operating—roughly three decades.

Reactions from Suppliers, Clergy, and the Public

Alain Denis said he had not been warned before the raid and only learned about it through the media. “I was not notified before or after the seizure. We’re waiting,” he told reporters, adding that his 30‑year‑old business had built personal relationships with dozens of parishes.

Customers, however, rallied. Denis recounted a flood of supportive calls: “I’ve never had so many sympathetic calls and supportive people. The customers know me, they know my kids. They know we’re not criminals.” Social media in Quebec lit up with hashtags demanding a quick solution.

On the ecclesiastical side, Msgr. Pierre Murray, secretary‑general of the Quebec bishops’ assembly, announced an emergency dialogue with the SAQ. “We compiled a list of wines that meet the church’s criteria and negotiated a 17 % discount for parishes,” he explained. Murray also noted that 95 % of SAQ’s eligible wines fell below the sulfite limits set by canon law, an unexpected silver lining.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Register had already reported that a local vineyard, Vignoble Vertefeuille in La Prairie, was awaiting approval to become a domestic sacramental wine producer. As of the raid, that approval remained pending, leaving the province still dependent on the SAQ’s newly curated list.

Legal and Regulatory Nuances Behind the Seizure

Quebec’s liquor legislation, part of the Loi sur la Société des alcools du Québec, makes it illegal to import alcohol for resale without a licence. The law was drafted decades ago, before the modern era of cross‑border religious supply chains. What’s odd is that the same law has been on the books for years, yet enforcement was lax until 2021.

Legal scholars argue the raids raise a constitutional question about the free exercise of religion versus provincial jurisdiction over alcohol. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that provinces can regulate alcohol, but they must do so in a way that does not unduly burden religious practice. The bishops’ lawyers have hinted they may challenge the seizure on those grounds.

For suppliers like Bertrand, Foucher, Bélanger Inc., the situation is a limbo: they have applied for permits that have been stuck in bureaucratic queues for years, and now they face potential criminal charges for actions that were previously tolerated.

What’s Next for Quebec’s Communion Wine Market?

In the weeks after the raid, the SAQ’s temporary list proved enough to keep Sunday Masses running, but the discount does not cover the full cost of imported specialty wines. Parishes are now budgeting tighter, and some rural churches have started buying smaller cases to stretch supplies.

The province’s Ministry of Justice has said it will review the enforcement policy, but no timeline has been set. Meanwhile, the bishops are lobbying for a permanent amendment that would allow the SAQ to stock a dedicated line of sacramental wines, removing the need for cross‑provincial imports.

If the legislative change goes through, Quebec could become the first Canadian province with a state‑run communion wine program. That would be a historic shift, moving the market from a shadow network to an openly regulated supply chain.

Until then, suppliers like Bertrand, Foucher, Bélanger Inc. remain in legal limbo, and priests continue to watch their wine cabinets with a mixture of relief that the crisis is easing and anxiety that another crackdown could come.