There was sparkling wine galore.
And, of course, there was caviar -- royal white sturgeon, to be exact.
After all, bubbly and fish eggs are the classic, ultimate, indulgent pairing.
There were scores of happy people, glasses of bubbly in hand.
And, either side of this scene, speedboats, wake boats and surfboats stacked five high.
That's right, Ailm Estate winery held its launch party this week just off Lakeshore Road in Kelowna at Aqua Boat Club -- the huge warehouse used for winter boat storage that also happens to double as an awesome event venue.
The reason for the celebration was the debut of Ailm's inaugural sparkling wines -- the flagship 2020 Reserve Brut ($85) and the 2021 Blanc de Blanc ($55).
"These are clean and crisp and fresh and fruity sparklings made in the Champagne method and are comparable to the best Champagnes (from France)," said winemaker Kailee Frasch.
"We're so proud of them. It's been a long journey and to have them now released is amazing."
While Ailm has vineyards in South Kelowna, there's no tasting room, shop or production facilities there.
So, the Reserve Brut and the Blanc de Blanc were actually crafted at Quails' Gate Winery in West Kelowna, where Frasch is also winemaker.
The other tie in is that Ailm is owned by the Stewart family, the same family that owns Quails' Gate; California wineries Plume, Valley of the Moon and Lake Sonoma; and new label Quails' Gate Field & Flight to bottle wines made of grapes from Washington state, Oregon and California.
All together, they are BACAS Family Wines.
Depending on how far you want to go back, Ailm and its first release of sparkling wines has been 100, 60, 35 or 10 years in the making.
The more than a century marker refers to Richard Stewart Sr. coming to the Okanagan in 1908 from Ireland and setting up a nursery in South Kelowna -- some of the same land where the Ailm vineyards are today.
Richard's son, Dick, started to grow grapes for other wineries in 1961, thus the six decade number.
Dick's sons, Ben and Tony, were instrumental in launching Quails' Gate in 1989, therefore the 35-year citation, when the family decided to keep its own grapes and make its own wine.
It was 10 years ago that Quails' Gate seriously started to consider sparkling.
It's taken since then to prepare and plant vineyards on the former nursery lands in South Kelowna, eventually harvest grapes in 2020 and 2021 and then make Champagne-style bubbles.
Along the way, Tony's son, Rowan, joined as the fourth generation of the family business as a vineyard-focused winemaker.
Ailm's premium, traditional sparkling demands a second fermentation in the bottle and aging of 28 to 40 months on the lees (yeast cells) to give the wine its signature brioche toastiness and refined, long-lasting, bubbly finesse.
By the way, Ailm is from the ancient Irish tree language of Ogham and is associated with a pine tree's strength, resilience and growth.
A lone, giant pine tree stands sentinel in the middle of the Ailm vineyards in South Kelowna.
The naming, and some Ogham script on the wine labels, is also a nod to the Stewart family's Irish heritage.
Ailm's limited supply of sparkling wines will be officially released on Nov. 12.
That's when you can start purchasing online at https://ailmestate.com/
Is anyone else thinking these are the ideal bubbles for the holiday season and ringing in 2025?
In the meantime, you can register at the same website to be at the front of the line for the first-release wines or sign up for a membership that guarantees access to wines now and in the future.
Next year, Ailm is also planning to release two new sparklings -- a Brut and a Rose Brut.
Ailm also has a Bordeaux-style red wine blend, 2021 Connemara (named after a region of Ireland), that will also be available Nov. 12.
Fire & Ice
The kick-off weekend of the South Okanagan Fire & Ice Festival (with its flurry of wine) is fast approaching.
The marquee event is the Fire & Ice Gala, 7 pm to 9:30 pm, on Saturday, Nov. 23 at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos.
It will feature wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries pouring drinks alongside curated food pairings.
DJ Splendid Bastard will spin the tunes.
And you are encouraged to come in a fire-and-ice inspired costume for a chance to win prizes.
Tickets are $110 at https://southokanaganfireandice.com/
At the same website you find information about other upcoming Fire & Ice events such as Dine With Us at Maverick Winery on Nov. 22, the Craft Market at the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre on Nov. 23, the Fire & Ice Family Celebration at Mythology Vineyard on Nov. 24, Oliver Light Up & Fireworks on Nov. 29 and the Miradora Fire & Ice Longtable Dinner at Tinhorn Creek Winery on Dec. 3.
There's also a bunch of other happenings at like ice skating at the District Wine Village, icewine tastings at Nk'Mip Winery and other tastings and special events at various Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country wineries.
Steve MacNaull is a NowMedia Group reporter, Okanagan wine lover and Canadian Wine Scholar. Reach him at [email protected]. His wine column appears in this space every Friday afternoon.
