A true family-owned business is rare these days and the world of wine is no exception. Some are owned by families who keep their distance from the day-to-day decisions. That’s not the case at Quails’ Gate Winery.
Established in 1989, Quails’ Gate is one of the oldest and most-awarded wineries in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Just as it was in those early years, the winery is still owned and operated by the Stewart family, who have turned their dream into a globally recognized wine and culinary destination.
Ben and Ruth Stewart started Quails’ Gate on a plot of land in West Kelowna, on the gentle slopes below Mount Boucherie. Over the next couple of decades, the entire Stewart family became involved in building the winery into what it is today.
The Stewart family’s relationship to the land in B.C. dates back much further than the winery. In 1908, Richard Stewart, Sr., came to Canada from Ireland and settled in the Okanagan Valley. A horticulturalist, he established one of the largest and most successful tree nurseries in the region and passed his love for the land on to subsequent generations. His son, Dick Stewart, (Ben’s father) planted the first grape vines on the family’s land in 1961.
The family now farms 400 acres of land, including property in South Kelowna and Osoyoos, and two restaurants located on the Quails’ Gate estate, Old Vines Restaurant and The Market at Quails’ Gate.
The corporate structure revolves around, but isn’t exclusive to, family. About 100 people work within the business full-time year-round, and another 100 or so join the team temporarily in summer and early fall, to help with the tasting room, restaurants and harvest. Under the leadership of the new Quails’ Gate CEO Jennifer Cudlipp, the team continues to embody the Stewart family’s dedication to excellence while fostering innovation and growth.
A few years ago, the Stewarts created the company BACAS Family Wines to consolidate their myriad brands; Quails’ Gate is part of that portfolio, as are several other labels including Lake Sonoma Winery and Plume. Jeff Del Nin is senior winemaker for BACAS Family Wines, Kailee Frasch is Quails’ Gate winemaker and she is assisted by Rowan Stewart, who is the son of Tony Stewart, the winery’s CEO for two decades.
The Stewarts have a family council and the family also participates on the Quails’ Gate board. Indeed, Rowan is just one of the fourth generation of Stewarts now actively involved with the winery. Others include Llane Dobbener (Ben Stewart’s daughter) who works in human resources. Benjamin Walker is now on the winery board; mother, Cynthia Walker, is Tony’s sister and Dick’s daughter. Benjamin’s cousin, Rory McFadden (Andrea Stewart’s son), is on the board, too.
Confused yet? Don’t be. The takeaway is that many Stewarts are involved in the winery business, in many ways.
“There’s a lot of work that takes place to ensure the family aspect of the business is represented,” said Angela Lyons, vice president of sales and marketing. She isn’t part of the Stewart family, but says she appreciates what they are doing. “It’s about building for the future,” she said. “They have done a really great job of setting things up for the next generation and they have a good long-term view for the industry in the future.”
The quail took flight and found a new field. It’s a tale of discovery and adventure.
Angela Lyons, Quails’ Gate Winery
While Quails’ Gate is primarily about Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they also grow several other varietals including Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Syrah, Marechal Foch and Chasselas, which is a white grape found mostly in Switzerland.
The Chardonnay, in particular, has been recognized internationally over the years, including gold medals at France’s prestigious Chardonnay du Monde awards, most recently in 2024, with the 2021 Stewart Family Reserve.
They’ve experimented with different grapes, too, as well as winemaking techniques and types of oak. The 2022 Quails’ Gate Quorum is a blend of Gamay Noir and Gamaret, an unusual red French grape created in 1970. They’ve fermented Chenin Blanc in concrete eggs and for the past seven years, they’ve released a piquette in cans, a carbonated low-alcohol alternative to beer and wine that has been incredibly popular, Lyons says.
“We’re really proud of it and we’ll continue to expand that offering as well,” she said.
In 2013, the Stewarts purchased Lake Sonoma Winery in California and launched a new label called Plume. The primary Plume wines include a Napa Valley Chardonnay, as well as Cabernet Sauvignons from grapes grown in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley and B.C.’s Similkameen Valley. In 2025, they will release a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
New sparkling wine label
In 2015, the Stewart family saw an opportunity to adapt the 200-acre South Kelowna tree nursery that had been in the family since the 1950s into a vineyard.
Like Quails’ Gate and Plume, the new project would have its own identity and personality, but instead would focus on sparkling wines made using the traditional method, where every bottle undergoes its secondary fermentation in the bottle, the same way that Champagne is made in France.
After some debate, the team came up with the name Ailm Estate. The word “ailm” comes from an ancient Irish tree language and means “pine tree,” which pays a nod to both the family’s roots in Ireland and their history as tree nursery owners and growers in B.C.
“They wanted the name to be about family, but didn’t want it to have their name,” Lyons said. “They wanted it to be about the next generation and the Kelowna community.”
The first wine released was the 2020 Ailm Reserve Vintage Brut (82 per cent Pinot Noir and 18 per cent Chardonnay), which was aged on its lees for more than 40 months and undergoes a dosage of Chardonnay and 6.5 grams of sugar per litre. It was followed by the inaugural release of the 2021 Blanc de Blanc, and this year, they will add two more wines to the lineup: a non-vintage Brut to be released in late spring and a rosé sparkler in November.
“This project started long before the COVID-19 pandemic. To see it officially launched now has been especially rewarding,” Lyons said. “It’s been a great journey so far.”
Challenging vintages
The past few years haven’t been without challenges, including the pandemic, a devastating heat wave, wildfires and extreme cold. Like nearly every winery in B.C., Quails’ Gate was hit hard by the sub-zero temperatures in 2023 and 2024. January 2024 was particularly bad, with temperatures below -20°C for days. Many of the vines died, unable to recover from the cold. Very little was harvested in 2024; just Marechal Foch and a little Riesling, which will be released in 2025.
At Quails’ Gate, they’ve chosen to look on the bright side and, like many B.C. wineries, they’ve temporarily set their sights elsewhere, sourcing grapes from the Pacific Northwest. Instead of trying to fit those wines into the estate line, they’ve chosen a new label.
In late-2024, they rolled out Field & Flight, a new range made from grapes grown mostly in Washington, Oregon and California. There are four single-varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Gris. Each is clearly labelled, so that consumers know exactly where the grapes came from.
“The quail took flight and found a new field,” said Lyons, with a laugh. “It’s a tale of discovery and adventure.”
They’re also taking the opportunity to replant vineyards with better clones and more suitable varieties. A south-facing Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in West Kelowna has been replanted to Pinot Noir, which the team believes will do better on the site. Some of the Chardonnay has been replanted with top new clones from Burgundy. Forty-six acres were replanted in 2024. Another 72 will be replanted in spring 2025, and a third round of planting will take place in 2026.
“It’s been very challenging,” said Lyons. “But the family believes in this region, and that this replant will help us create even better wines in the future.”
As there is less wine, the team made the decision to pull back from selling nationally. Some wines are for sale in Alberta, and there’s a little Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Quebec market, plus a bit in the U.K., but the focus is on maintaining stock for the winery’s tasting room and restaurants.
“We wanted to be sure we had Okanagan Valley VQA wine to sell at Quails’ Gate, so that when people come visit, we have a good supply of wines for them to try from this region,” Lyons said. “That is very important for us.”
Community and caring
The community in B.C. and beyond has long been important for the Stewart family and Quails’ Gate in general. Charities and non-profits that they support monetarily and through volunteer time include the Nature Conservancy of Canada, BC Hospitality Foundation, the Central Okanagan Food Bank and the West Kelowna Firefighters Relief Fund.
During the West Kelowna fires in summer 2024, the winery’s two restaurants were closed so the culinary team pivoted and prepared meals – 600 meals a day at the height – for firefighters working in the region. “We look for opportunities to support our community wherever possible,” Lyons said.
Connecting with other wineries is also important. They are actively involved with the Wine Growers British Columbia industry group, and in 2023, they were certified sustainable by Sustainable Winegrowing BC.
“The land supports us,” Lyons said. “We want to support it, too.”
Tony was on the Wine Growers Canada board for many years, retiring in April 2024. Continuing the Stewart family’s commitment to industry leadership, Cudlipp stepped up immediately and joined the national organization. Her involvement underscores Quails’ Gate’s ongoing dedication to advocating for the wine industry nationally.
“Wine Growers Canada is very important for us,” said Lyons. “They represent the industry through government advocacy and sharing information about what’s going on in the industry nationally. It’s an important organization and one we’re committed to supporting.”
Looking ahead
As the Stewart family and the Quails’ Gate team look ahead to the future, one thing is certain: they will continue to push toward making better and better wines, whatever the universe throws their way. “It’s about finding ways to work through the challenges,” Lyons said. “The team is always talking about how we haven’t made our best wine yet. We know there is always room for improvement.”
