Our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions – Quails’ Gate Winery

We are supporters of the British Columbia wine industry and so far have featured a number of our favourite wineries in Our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions

This time we are featuring the family owned Quails’ Gate Winery and we are doing so not just because we like their wines but also because family owned and estate wineries are the backbone of the Okanagan wine industry. These early pioneers have put the Okanagan on the map as a wine, food and tourist destination. Without these early wineries and winemakers, the presence on the international stage would not be what it is today. So we tip our hat to a winery that, although one of the largest, strives for excellence in all aspects of the industry and is true to its roots. Quails’ Gate is known and respected for their contributions to the industry and we are pleased to share with you our own personal favourites.

We first tasted these Quails’ Gate wines during a tour of the Kelowna area in September. Our review of that visit can be found here.

The 2014 Boswell is a wonderfully complex and intensely flavoured wine reminiscent of the Syrahs grown in the Northern Rhone Valley of France. The glass is filled with aromas of jasmine, ripe black berried fruits, clove, white pepper and smoked meat notes. The palate is smooth, rich and full bodied with a delicious mouthfeel and smoothly polished tannins which linger seductively on the finish. We suggest pairing with an array of grilled red meats, braises, stews and aged hard cheeses.

The vineyard where our Syrah is grown is perfect for this varietal, the natural air-conditioning of the Okanagan Lake to cool the ripening grapes each night create a perfect balance in the finished wine. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak and shows great varietal characteristics. Enjoy this wine today or cellar until 2022.

2014 Boswell Syrah 54.99 – available at the winery and through their website wine store

Complex and multi-layered with aromas and flavours of violets, cherry and raspberry fruit, exotic spice, as well as notes of forest floor and earth. The mouthfeel is beautifully structured with polished tannins and a very long finish. We recommend serving this wine at 15°C to fully enjoy your experience. Pair alongside duck, venison, grilled BC salmon and dishes that include beets or wild mushrooms.

The 2015 vintage was particularly warm, so picking dates had to be monitored meticulously to ensure the grapes were harvested at the optimal time. This wine is a blend of 4 different world-renowned Dijon clones, 115, 667, 777 and 828. Each block was handpicked and vinified separately in stainless steel tanks using a combination of indigenous and French cultivated yeast strains. After fermentation, the wine was aged in quality French oak barrels for approximately 10 to 11 months with around 30% of the barrels being new. Enjoy now until 2025.

2015 Richard’s Block Pinot Noir 54.99 – available at the winery and on their website store

With a reputation as an industry innovator in viticulture, the Clone 828 Pinot Noir represents our latest quest for excellence. The internationally renowned 828 clone is known for producing full flavoured fruit of exceptional quality and unique growing attributes, and as we found, matched ideally with our soil and terroir. During elevage, it became clear that this Pinot Noir demanded the Stewart family’s approval for Reserve status and an independent, small batch bottling was done.

2014 Clone 828 Pinot Noir – $59.99 – available exclusively at the winery

This wine represents an exclusive blend of the best and oldest Dijon Clones from our estate. Blended from 16-year-old, well-attended Dijon clones 115 and 667, this wine is aged in gross lees in French oak for 10 months of which 60% are new and 40% are 1 year old.

2015 Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir 44.99 – available at the winery, website store and in select restaurants and private wine stores in BC

Our family has farmed in the Okanagan Valley since 1908. We believe great wines begin in the vineyards and we are deeply passionate about the quality of our wines. Our Rosemary’s Block Chardonnay is dedicated to our Mother Rosemary and her role in creating our family’s winery. This beautifully crafted Chardonnay is graceful and refined with an impressive intensity at its core.

2015 Rosemary Block Chardonnay 44.99 – available at the winery and on their website store

If you’re not sure exactly which Quails’ Gate wine will make the best gift you can purchase a Gift Card.

This holiday season, gift giving just got more fun! When you buy a $100 Gift Card, we’ll give you a $10 Voucher to use during your next visit to Quails’ Gate.

As a special treat for our valued Wine Club Members, when you buy a $50 Gift Card, you will receive a $10 Voucher for your next visit.

To purchase, visit us at our Wine Shop or Old Vines Restaurant or contact our Wine Shop team at WineShop@nullquailsgate.com.

Gift Card Promotion ends December 31 with Vouchers valid until March 31, 2018.

Images and tasting notes courtesy of Quails’ Gate Winery (Quailsgate.com)