Recent Quail’s Gate releases.
Quails’ Gate Estate Winery represents one of the Okanagan Valley’s most influential agricultural success stories; one that began long before the region was known for wine. The Stewart family has farmed its stretch of West Kelowna for more than a century, beginning in 1908 when Irish horticulturist Richard Stewart Sr. established one of the valley’s leading nurseries.
His son Dick planted the first grapevines in 1961, setting the stage for the family’s transition from horticulture to viticulture. In 1989, Dick’s son Ben and his wife Ruth formally founded Quails’ Gate Winery, laying the foundation for what would become an enduring BC estate.
Quail’s Gate Estate Vineyard [source: Quail’s Gate]
Today, the family farms roughly 160 acres on the Boucherie Bench, a gently sloping site shaped by its mineral-rich soils. These vineyards, among the most mature vinifera plantings in the country, represent decades of trial, adaptation, and innovation.
Additional vineyards in the South Okanagan, including the long-standing Osoyoos site, expand the estate’s range of terroirs and varieties.
Quail’s Gate estate fruit [source: Quail’s Gate]
Viticulture remains central to the winery’s identity. Certified by Sustainable Winegrowing BC since 2022, Quails’ Gate emphasizes water stewardship, soil health, and reduced-impact farming as part of a long-term commitment to both quality and community.
“For us, sustainability is about legacy—caring for this land so that future generations can experience the same abundance and beauty we do today,” says President & CEO Jenn Cudlipp. It’s a philosophy that runs parallel to the family’s multigenerational history on the property.
We recently tasted three 2023 releases that offer an introductory snapshot of the estate’s style and priorities.
2023 Quail’s Gate Chardonnay – $27.99
Chardonnay has been a pillar of the estate for more than three decades, with some of the region’s oldest plantings dedicated to this variety.
2023 Quail’s Gate Chardonnay.
Whole-cluster pressed, fermented in stainless steel and neutral French oak, and aged nine months on lees, the 2023 is medium gold in colour. We get notes of apple, lemon zest and a hint of almond paste. The body is medium and the acidity is medium-, which together contribute to a very pleasing mouthfeel.
This wine is well balanced with moderate intensity and a medium-long finish. For those that “think” they do not like Chardonnay, this is a great example that could bring you back to the grape. The oakiness that many complain about in Chardonnay is not to be found in excess, but rather well judged and evenly matched with the wine’s fruit and acidity.
2023 Quail’s Gate Pinot Noir – $34.99
2023 Quail’s Gate Pinot Noir.
The 2023 Pinot Noir is classic BC cool-climate in style. Medium to light red in colour. Notes of fresh cherries, strawberries and baking spices combine to produce a wine that is easy to understand while providing lots of pleasure. We think this wine is equally at home at the dining room table or on its own as an aperitif. The acid and tannin give a bit of structure but largely stay in the background and cede center stage to the fruit. This is a wine that is ready to drink now (and could be a great choice with a Christmas turkey!).
2023 Quail’s Gate Old Vines Foch – $29.99
A rare piece of Okanagan history, these vines were planted in 1978 in the estate’s Osoyoos vineyard, at a time when Marechal Foch dominated the Valley. This is a hybrid grape developed in Alsace at the turn of the 20th century, and exactly what grapes went into the original cross is open to some dispute. The intention was to create a red grape that could fully ripen in cooler climates. Thanks to global warming, that trait is seldom needed but it does find a home in various northern sites, including the Okanagan Valley.
2023 Quail’s Gate Old Vines Foch.
The colour is a dark red. Notes of black cherry, blueberry and earth sit atop a medium-full body with moderate tannin and acidity. It would be easy to mistake this as a cool climate Syrah, as the reductive notes of road tar often found with Syrah are present with this wine as well. The finish is long and has some nice black pepper notes.
It’s an intriguing argument for why old-vine Foch still deserves a place in BC’s landscape.
Quails’ Gate’s influence on the Okanagan wine industry is undisputable. From early vinifera experimentation to shaping quality benchmarks that still guide the region. The 2023 releases reflect a winery grounded in experience but still continuing to refine its approach.
These first impressions only scratch the surface. We plan a deeper dive into the vineyards, cellar and people behind the wines when we’re next back in the Okanagan, where the full story of this historic estate can unfold firsthand.
Quail’s Gate 2023 releases.
3303 Boucherie Road
West Kelowna BC V1Z 2H3
T: (250) 769-4451
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