Quails Gate Okanagan Valley Vineyard Winery Stewart Family Estate

STEWART FAMILY HISTORY

Arriving in the Okanagan Valley in 1908 from County Kildare, Ireland, Richard Stewart Sr., affectionately known as Poppa, was the first to begin the Stewart family's tradition of growing fruit. Having worked in the greenhouses of Lord Guinness in Ireland, Richard was drawn towards a series of greenhouses on Gellatly Bay prior to starting Stewart Brothers' Nurseries Ltd. in 1911 with his brother, Bill. As a pioneering horticulturist, Richard was instrumental in establishing the family passion for agriculture as well as its strong dedication and commitment to the Okanagan Valley.

Inspired by Richard, his son Dick ventured out on his own in 1956 and purchased the site on the slopes of Mt. Boucherie, Kelowna, which is now the home of Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley Winery. Dick planted the first vines on this site in 1961 and later built the family home to share with his wife Rosemary and their four children: Ben, Cynthia, Andrea and Tony. Initially, the site was dominated by orchards of cherries, peaches, apples, pears and vineyards of table grapes. However, as the years went by Dick realized that these lands were destined to become some of the most sought after vinifera vineyards in North America.

As Dick neared retirement, he called on his eldest son Ben to come home to the family farm. Together over the next decade Ben and Dick transformed the family estate from its diverse crops to the high density premium vinifera that currently make up the Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley vineyards. This move made it possible for both Dick and Ben to transform the family business from grape grower to wine producer. From the early 1990's to today, Ben and his brother Tony have changed Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley from a farm gate winery to one of the country's leading estate wineries. The history of Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley is still short, but Ben and Tony, along with their sisters continue to carry forward the pursuit of excellence and hard work that their family has been committed to for over a century.

MEET THE PROPRIETORS:

BEN STEWART

Ben, with the support of his wife Ruth, co-founded Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley in 1989. Ben devoted much of this time to pioneering the development of Pinot Noir in Canada. His passion was to see Pinot Noir developed in the Okanagan and to see it become the most critically acclaimed varietal in the region. As a result, Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley is one of the world's leading producers of Pinot Noir and has the greatest and one of the oldest selection of Pinot Noir clones in Canada. Ben currently acts as chairman and directs much of his energy towards work in the community.

TONY STEWART

Tony returned to the family business in 1992. As CEO of Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley, he directs much of his energy to creating an environment that will enable Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley to succeed as one of the world's best wine houses. Tony is passionate about ensuring that Quails' Gate Okanagan Valley visitors receive exceptional product and service. He and his team are confident and excited about leading the way in winery culinary tourism. In addition, Tony devotes much of this time to a variety of local, provincial and national associations.