(Vancouversun) - One of B.C.’s oldest and best-known wine-producing families is expanding into California’s Napa Valley as a way to build an international brand. The Stewart family, which owns Quails’ Gate Estate Winery of West Kelowna, is undertaking what it calls a “significant expansion” into the U.S. and is now negotiating for a property of up to 40 acres [16 hectares]. “Our focus is to diversify our family holdings,” said Quails’ Gate CEO and part-owner, Tony Stewart. The Stewarts — through its holding company, Bacas Holdings — is the lead partner in the venture, along with Daniel Zepponi, former president of the nearby winery, Mission Hill Family Estate.