Quails' Gate Chasselas and friends

Photo: Quails' Gate president Tony Stewart (courtesy of Quails'Gate winery)

The best-selling white wine at Quails’ Gate Estate Winery usually is its blend of Chasselas/Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris.

Chasselas is the major white varietal of Switzerland. Not much is planted in the Okanagan; the 6.4-acre block at the Quails’ Gate vineyard is there only because a vine nursery shipped the varietal in error when the vineyard was being developed in 1961. The Stewart family had ordered a labrusca varietal called Diamond. Several years later, after the vines were established, a visiting French grape expert identified them as Chasselas. The error was fortunate for the Stewarts. Diamond was then widely grown in Ontario, producing grapey and foxy wines that consumers were drinking because they did not know better. You would have difficulty selling it to today’s sophisticated consumers. Quails’ Gate’s Chasselas, on the other hand, has had a good following for the past 30 years. At one point, a Canadian regional airline even offered it in its in-flight service.

Some years ago, one of the Quails’ Gate winemakers had the bright idea to stretch the limited volume of Chasselas by blending it with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. It is a good blend: Pinot Blanc adds structure while the Pinot Gris lifts the fruitiness. The volumes of the four wines discussed here have not been disclosed. The 2022 Chardonnay is from a year of better than average production. The 2023 vintage, on the other hand, was about half the average production due to winter damage and late 2022. It is anticipated this fall’s vintage was be far smaller because even more serious winter damage in January this year.

Joanna Schlosser, the winery’s marketing director, warns that Quails’ Gate wines likely will be in short supply for the next several years. “In January, our vineyards experienced winter's severity, a reminder of the delicate balance we navigate as farmers and how we manage climate change,” she writes. “The damage felt valley-wide will require extensive replanting and the full impact will not be known until the end of June. At Quails’ Gate, we're proactively addressing these challenges by planting new Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones, enhancing both vineyard quality and wine craftsmanship. We're planting 80,000 vines across 40 acres this year, with similar plans for next year, focusing on areas affected by recent winters. These efforts will ensure our long-term vineyard production.”

The winery also is considering temporarily sourcing grapes and wines from other regions. I would take that to include California. Quails’ Gate president Tony Stewart and his family dipped a toe into California in 2011, first with a Napa joint venture and in 2012 with a major investment in Sonoma. The Stewart family purchased two historic Sonoma wineries, Lake Sonoma and Valley of the Moon, from F. Korbel & Bros. Four years later, the Stewarts bought a third Sonoma producer, primarily to get a production facility and tasting room for Lake Sonoma. The strategy has been to get those wines into Canadian markets. Currently, a Lake Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon is listed for $30 in 121 BC Liquor Stores while Everything Wine has five Lake Sonoma wines.

Meanwhile, Quails’ Gate has just released three wines from the 2023 vintage and one from the 2022 vintage. Here are notes on the wines.

Quails’ Gate Dry Riesling 2023 ($19.99). The grapes were cold in stainless steel. The wine shows great purity, with aromas and flavours of lime, lemon and orchard fruits. The touch of residual sugar is well balanced with bright acidity. This wine is easy to drink, especially at the price. 90.

Quails’ Gate Chasselas-Pinot Blanc-Pinot Gris 2023 ($21.99). This is a blend of 50% Chasselas, 30% Pinot Blanc and 20% Pinot Gris. The varietals were cold-fermented separately in stainless steel. This is likely the most popular wine from Quails’ Gate: a wine that manages to be juicy on the palate and refreshing on the finish. There are aromas of citrus and pear, leading to flavours of apple and peach. 90.

Quails’ Gate Chardonnay 2022 ($26.99). The fruit for this wine was whole-cluster pressed and fermented in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak. The wine was aged nine months on the lees. The wine begins with aromas of butter and citrus, leading to a rich palate with flavours of mandarin orange and orchard fruits. 91

Quails’ Gate Rosé 2023 ($21.99). This rosé is a blend of Merlot, Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir. The colour is fashionably pale. Easy to drink and quite refreshing, the wine has aromas and flavours of watermelon, strawberry and raspberry. 90