Alfonso Gagliano is showing interest in the winemaking business and is hoping the federal government will help finance his bid for a Quebec vineyard, according to media reports.

The former federal public works minister is bidding on a Quebec vineyard in Dunham which he sees as a retirement project. Gagliano confirmed he made a conditional offer on Les Blancs Coteaux, an 18-year-old vineyard that boasts 50,000 plants.

The offer is contingent on a federal loan from Farm Credit Canada that Gagliano hopes will come through shortly, he told Montreal newspaper La Presse.

He expects to hear from the federal agency next week.

The vineyard sale is worth between $750,000 and $1,000,000, according to the Friday newspaper report.

The former minister and ambassador was a household name during the federal sponsorship scandal which involved his department.

Gagliano maintains he knew nothing about fraud committed within his jurisdiction but he has accepted political responsibility for other peoples' action.

The St-Leonard, Que., resident said the scandal destroyed his political career and reputation.

Gagliano has never faced criminal charges in the sponsorship scandal.

Born in Sicily, Gagliano arrived in Canada at the age of 16. The vineyard is a way for him to reconnect with his roots, he said.

With files from the Canadian Press