Layers of flavour: The story Quail’s Gate winery
This is one of Canada's best places to wine, dine, and unwind
Mount Boucherie is an extinct volcano in British Columbia that requires about 50 million candles, give or take, to celebrate the mountain’s birthday. The mountain itself doesn’t look a day over 40 million. Its sloping bench gently descends to Okanagan Lake, a 100km long lake carved into the landscape long ago by layers of Ice Age glaciers. These layers serve as a metaphor for the world-class wines grown here. Nestled on the southeastern slope of West Kelowna is Quail’s Gate winery, where each wine they produce is layered with complexity.
The area surrounding Quail’s Gate has ideal weather conditions that create a microclimate suitable for cultivating diverse grape varietals. The hot, sunny summer days are perfect for vine-ripened grapes bursting with fruity notes. During the season’s peak, the valley receives about two extra hours of sunlight per day compared to California’s famous Napa Valley. In West Kelowna, the cooler nighttime temperatures enhance the grapes' acidity. These grapes make wines with a balanced flavour profile.
Mount Boucherie may have been dormant for 50 million years, but its soil makes up for volcanic underachievement. Along with good drainage, this is another piece of the puzzle that explains why Quail’s Gate’s wines are packed with flavour. These are happy grapes looking to become wine, not California raisins.
Quails' Gate's story dates back to 1908 when Richard Stewart Sr. emigrated to Canada from Ireland. Before his emigration, Richard worked in horticulture for Lord Guinness. As he matured, however, the utopia he created for the Guinness family made him yearn for his own paradise. Inspired by his older brother William’s travel stories from a two-year trip to Canada, Richard migrated to the Okanagan Valley, where he found his paradise.
Experiencing Canda host Nathan Coleman with Llane Dobbener, Family Ambassador, Quail’s Gate Winery
Richard and William started the Stewart Brothers Nursery in 1911 on a small piece of land in Glenmore Valley. Thanks partly to Richard's horticultural talents, the Okanagan’s fruit tree population grew by 85,000 trees. Beginning in 1961, Richard’s son, Dick, inherited the Stewart green thumb and shifted from growing fruit trees to planting vineyards. In 1989, Quails’ Gate Winery became a family affair when Dick’s eldest son, Ben, and his wife, Ruth, produced the winery’s first vintage.
These vintages have evolved into a consistent range of wines made from Pinot Noir, Syrah, Pinot Gris, and other grapes. Chilled Chenin Blanc exhibits light florals, stone fruits, and a dynamic acidity. The Chardonnay is refined, balanced, and enveloped in oak. Then there is the Queue, a Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are as cherished as the lands they come from.
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