Maréchal Foch comes through for Quails' Gate

Photo: Label of the first Old Vines Foch wine

A year or two ago, I suggested to Quails’ Gate Estate Winery president Tony Stewart that he should consider replacing the Maréchal Foch in the winery’s Osoyoos vineyard with a vinifera red (like Cabernet Franc) which arguably produces better wine. In view of the damage suffered by Okanagan vineyards in the 2023 and 2024 winters, I am glad he did not take my advice. The winery farms about 400 acres of vineyard and usually harvests between 1,100 and 1,200 tons of grapes. In the 2024 vintage, those Okanagan vineyards produced just 75 tons of grapes. Maréchal Foch comprised 60 tons of that. That winter-hardy French hybrid varietal produced an almost normal crop while most of the vinifera were devastated by a succession of three increasingly colder winters.

Maréchal Foch was developed in France more than 100 years ago to thrive in cold climates. The vine was brought to Ontario and New York vineyards in the 1940s and made its way to the Okanagan (along with other hybrids) in the 1950s. The wine reviewed here is from a vineyard planted in 1978. Before the great vine pull-out after the 1988, hybrid varietals like Maréchal Foch, De Chaunac, Rougeon and Chancellor were the backbone of red wines from the Okanagan. Most of those varietals were replaced, beginning in the mid-1990s, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Consumers judged that the vinifera wines tasted better. While that may be generally true, the comparison was not fair. The hybrids suffered because they were just not cultivated to the same high standards as the vinifera were. Overcropping was routine with the hybrids; and overcropping is the enemy of good wine.

During the 1988 pull-out, the Stewart family, owners of Quails’ Gate, retained two blocks of Maréchal Foch. In 1994, they hired an Australian winemaker, Jeff Martin. He talked the winery into reducing the crop load in the estate vineyard’s Foch block, which was then 25 years old. The result was a concentrated red with tons of aroma and flavour. The wine was called Old Vines Foch and it has been a cult wine ever since. I have often wondered what a similar approach would have done with De Chaunac or the other red hybrids. I don’t think the resulting wines would have been iconic – but there could have been a vintage of quaffable BC reds from the 2024 vintage.

Quails’ Gate has begun replanting about half of its 400 acres. Varieties that did not survive the hard winters, like Gewürztraminer, are not being replanted. Others are being replanted in better locations, with emphasis of newer clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, flagship varietals at Quails’ Gate. A trial block of assorted hybrid varietals is being planted in Southeast Kelowna. Among other objectives, chief winemaker Jeff Del Nin is looking for a white varietal to stand in for Chasselas, one of three varietals in the winery’s hugely successful white blend, once a 22,000-case brand. Three hard winters in a row reduced production, with none being made in 2024.

Like many Okanagan wineries, Quails’ Gate imported grapes from California, Oregon and Washington. Jeff says he spent 51 days last year in American vineyards last year, coordinating harvests in order to keep his winemaking team busy and ensure there is 2024 wine in the market from Quails’ Gate. “We are currently bottling out 2024 Pinot Gris, from California,” he says. “As soon as we are done, we will switch to doing the rosé, also from California. We did a Chenin Blanc from Washington; Chardonnay and Pinot Gris from Oregon; and some really nice Pinot Noirs from Oregon. We are trying to keep our customers supplied.”

The longer-term strategy involves winter-proofing the vineyards. The measures include protecting some vines with geo-textile fabrics. The winery is also doing a trial with a European technology with strings of lights that shed enough heat to keep the buds from freezing. It works against spring frosts in French vineyards but it remains to be determined whether it will work in a colder Okanagan winter. And given how resilient Maréchal Foch has shown itself, winter-hardy hybrids are getting a second look. “If they had been growing the hybrids with as much care and attention to quality as we currently give to vinifera, we probably would still have a lot more hybrids around,” Jeff says. “The problem was that the vines were overcropped. Growers did not know as much about growing grapes as we do now.” The latest releases from Quails’ Gate, all from the spectacular 2022 vintage, include an excellent Old Vines Foch.

Quails’ Gate Estate Chardonnay 2022 ($26.99). The fruit was whole-cluster pressed and the juice was fermented in stainless steel and neutral oak barrels. The wine was aged on the lees for nine months. It begins with aromas of apple, orange peel and apricot, leading to flavours of pear, apple and citrus. 91.

Quails’ Gate Estate Pinot Noir 2022 ($34.99). The wine was fermented on the skins for 10 to 14 days and then aged 10 months in French oak barrels (both new and used). The wine begins with aromas of cherry and strawberry. These are echoed on the palate minged with a hint of chocolate. The texture is silky and the finish is long. 91.

Quails’ Gate Estate Merlot 2022 ($34.99). The grapes, which were from the winery’s West Kelowna vineyard, were fermented on the skins for 14 days. The wine was aged for 18 months in French oak. The wine has aromas of black cherry, blueberry and blackberry, echoed on the full-bodied palate. 91.

Quails’ Gate Estate Foch 2022 ($28.99). The fruit for this wine is from the winery’s Osoyoos vineyard where Maréchal Foch grapes have been growing since 1978. The wine was fermented on the skins for 10 days and then was aged in French oak (20% new). The wine begins with earthy aromas of plum and fig. The palate is full, with flavours of dark fruits and wild game meats. 90.