Quails' Gate Winery Explained

Winery Name:Quails' Gate Winery
Location City:Westbank, British Columbia
Location Country:Canada
Appellation:Okanagan Valley
Year Founded:1956
First Vintage:1989
Key People:Tony Stewart (CEO), Larry Sullivan (Chairman) & Jeff Del Nin (Winemaker)
Parent Company:Privately Owned
Cases Per Year:50,000
Signature Wine:Stewart Family Reserve Pinot noir
Varietal1:Pinot noir
Varietal2:Merlot
Varietal3:Cabernet Sauvignon
Varietal4:Old Vines Foch
Varietal5:Chardonnay
Varietal6:Chasselas
Varietal7:Pinot blanc
Varietal8:Riesling
Varietal9:Gewürztraminer
Varietal10:Chenin blanc
Varietal11:Rose (Gamay noir)
Varietal12:Riesling Icewine
Varietal13:Optima
Other Product1:Restaurant
Other Product2:Wineshop
Distribution:Regional, restaurants & wine club only
Tasting:Open to public & special events

49.8431°N -119.5657°W

Quails’ Gate Winery is a Canadian Winery located on the shore of Okanagan Lake in Westbank, British Columbia. Situated in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Quails’ Gate produces over 50,000 cases of wine per year. Quails’ Gate are best known for their Family Reserve Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Quails' Gate's Wineshop and Old Vines Restaurant are open daily, year round to the public.[1]

History

Quails’ Gate was founded by the Stewarts, one of the Okanagan’s pioneer horticultural families. Richard John Stewart arrived in the Okanagan Valley from County Kildare, Ireland in 1908. He and his 2 brothers purchased several parcels of land and established nurseries. In 1956, his son Richard Stewart acquired the Allison Ranch on which the winery now sits and started planting vines along with fruit orchards. His son Ben, a banker by trade started working at Quails’ Gate in the 1980s. In 1989, the family abandoned the orchards and focused the properties on producing wine, relaunching the business as Quails’ Gate Estate Winery. In 1992, Richard's other son, Tony, left his career as a stockbroker to return to the family business.[2] Tony now runs the business still privately held by the Stewart family.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Quails' Gate Estate Winery - Okanagan Valley. wine.appellationamerica.com. 24 June 2019.
  2. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1552856038 John Schreiner p.268