We’ve been following the developments at Ailm Estate in East Kelowna for some time. It is the latest chapter in the Stewart family wine empire, following the establishment of Quails’ Gate, the first farmgate winery, in 1989. Why Ailm?

The family is celebrating the Irish roots of its founder, Richard Stewart Sr., who arrived in Kelowna from Ireland as a horticulturist in 1908. Ailm is the Irish name of the 16th letter of the Ogham alphabet. It refers to the Ogham letter for “fir” or “pine,” a Celtic symbol representing inner strength and, depending on the context, themes of wisdom and resilience, rooted in the ancient Irish tree alphabet.

Sons Dick Stewart and Bill Stewart purchased the Ailm site in 1950 to operate a tree nursery before its current transformation to a cool-climate vineyar

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