My last stop on my weekend trip to Lillooet and Kamloops was Monte Creek Winery. I’ve followed along, tasted their wines, and wrote about them since they opened. And as luck would have it, on this visit, they were celebrating their 10-year anniversary of opening the tasting room. People have changed over time, and they planted an additional vineyard, Lion’s Head, across the valley, and one in Keremeos, since that first vintage. Let me tell you about my visit and the wines I sampled at the tasting room.
Longevity, Growth, and a Decade of Wines
Monte Creek Winery recently celebrated a major milestone, the 10-year anniversary of opening their tasting room, marking a decade of innovation and perseverance in the Thompson Valley. The roots of this success stretch back 15 years, when the first vines were planted on the property. What began with just a few acres has since grown into a substantial operation, with 50 acres now cultivated on the main estate and ongoing infill plantings to maximize vineyard potential.
Last year alone, approximately 50,000 vines were planted across their three vineyard sites. This ambitious scale is supported by a new production facility, opened in the past three years, which has significantly increased their capacity and quality control. Designed to handle up to 50,000 cases annually, the facility underscores Monte Creek’s commitment to long-term sustainability and expansion. Their most recent acquisition, a 40-acre vineyard in Cawston’s Keremeos subregion, further broadens their growing footprint and helps mitigate the region’s increasingly volatile climate.
Hybrids and Cold-Climate Innovation
Monte Creek has built a reputation on adapting to one of the most difficult viticultural challenges: extreme cold. The Thompson Valley’s punishing winters and early frosts make traditional Vitis vinifera varieties difficult to grow consistently. As a result, Monte Creek has made hybrids a cornerstone of their identity. Developed primarily by the University of Minnesota, these hybrids, including Frontenac, Marquette, and others, have become essential to their vineyard success.
According to the team, the beauty of these hybrids lies in their resilience and efficiency. They require less water, pruning, and vineyard maintenance than many vinifera varieties, and most importantly, they can survive severe arctic snap frosts without damage. Marechal Foch, a more established hybrid with Alsatian roots, also plays a role in their portfolio.
Beyond varietal selection, Monte Creek has implemented a range of climate mitigation strategies. Six automated wind machines protect the main vineyard by circulating warmer air during frost events. In contrast, their Lion’s Head Vineyard, located across the river and without windmills, has relied on helicopter flights for frost protection; an expensive but effective emergency solution. In the past two winters, vines have also been covered in a fleece-like material and buried with soil for insulation, a practice increasingly necessary as unpredictable weather becomes the norm.
Thoughtful Winemaking and State-of-the-Art Facilities
Monte Creek’s production philosophy is anchored by its new gravity-flow winery, where grapes begin their journey at the top of the facility and move naturally through the winemaking process. This method limits mechanical handling and helps preserve the integrity of the fruit, supporting both higher volumes and premium quality.
The winery utilizes a mix of open-top fermenters for red wines and closed tanks for whites and specialty offerings such as their blueberry wine. Sparkling wines are made using the Charmat method in pressure-resistant tanks that can withstand up to seven atmospheres, a process the winemaking team acknowledges can be nerve-racking. Aged wines mature in a mix of French oak barrels, which are added to yearly, and concrete vessels, either as eggs or cubes, that offer subtle oxygenation and natural convection without contributing oak flavours.
Recent bottlings include a diverse mix: the signature Hands Up White, Sparkling Rosé, Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc. During heavy seasons, both the original and new facilities operate at full capacity. While amphorae are not currently in use, the winery continues to explore dynamic winemaking options to support their evolving styles.
Organic Certification and Environmental Stewardship
As of Fall 2023 all three of their vineyards as well as their production facility are certified organic. This rigorous, multi-year process now covers all vineyard operations, ensuring that harmful sprays and synthetic inputs are avoided. As a result, recent vintages proudly carry the “organic” designation, reinforcing the winery’s dedication to environmental stewardship.
Grapes and Wine Styles: A Balanced Portfolio
The winery’s grape portfolio reflects both innovation and tradition. Their hybrids, Marquette, Frontenac, and La Crescent, are especially well-suited to their climate. Marquette, a dark-skinned variety, is used for a structured rosé and deeper reds. Frontenac Gris, the winery’s in-store bestseller, is an off-dry white bursting with tropical fruit notes of mango, nectarine, apricot, and pineapple. La Crescent features in their sparkling white and orange wines.
Among the vinifera, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir show great promise. Riesling is sourced from all three vineyards, with standout bottlings including Living Land 2023, a dry-style blend, and Ancient Waters 2021, sourced entirely from Lion’s Head and partly fermented in concrete eggs. The latter offers a rounded, smoother expression of the variety.
Other wines include a fruit-forward Gamay aged in concrete, a bright cherry-toned Pinot Noir, and a structured Cabernet Franc aged 15 months in French oak, increasingly sourced from their own vineyards. Fruit wine fans can enjoy a full blueberry wine and Split Decision, a wildly popular sparkling blueberry and Riesling blend, available in cans. Inspired by customer creativity, it delivers intense berry aromas with a slightly off-dry finish.
Vineyard Management: Managing Pests and Pressure
Like many BC vineyards, wildlife pressure is a significant concern. Bears are deterred by electric fencing, while birds, particularly drawn to sugary grapes, are managed through a combination of deterrents, including lasers, bangers, and netting. While netting remains the most effective method, it is also the most labour-intensive, requiring substantial effort during critical harvest weeks.
Propagation and Nursery Development
To further control quality and adapt to changing demand, Monte Creek built a greenhouse alongside their new winery. From December to April, they propagate 6,000 to 8,000 vines in-house, which are then planted each spring. Current focus is on expanding Marquette and Chardonnay plantings while phasing out underperforming or less marketable varieties.
Accolades and Recognition
Monte Creek’s wines have not gone unnoticed. Their 2018 Riesling, crafted entirely from Thompson Valley grapes, was awarded “White Wine of the Year for Canada”, a major accolade that speaks to both their terroir and winemaking skill. It stands as a benchmark achievement, confirming that top-tier wines can be made outside the traditional boundaries of BC’s wine heartland.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Monte Creek Winery Living Land Riesling 2023 (BC $ Not listed on website) – A pale lemon colour. Light stone fruit nose. Dry, medium-minus body, with a smooth, soft mouthfeel. Pears and apples flavours. Medium-plus acidity. Medium-plus length. Good quality. Can age 4-6 years for optimum tasting. 
Monte Creek Winery Riesling 2021 (BC $29.99) – The grapes for this wine come from a single block from the Lion’s Head vineyard. This wine has a medium lemon colour. Light petrol and apple aromas. Medium-plus body, higher acidity, giving you light acidic prickle on your tongue. Crisp apple and petrol flavours. Medium-plus length with a tart finish. 
Monte Creek Winery Living Land Frontenac Gris 2024 (BC $24.99) – A medium intensity, bright lemon colour in the glass. A very light stone fruit nose. Dryish, medium body with a smooth, thicker mouthfeel. Ripe apricot and pineapple flavours, plus a touch of mango. Medium-minus acidity. –
Monte Creek Winery Living Land Rosé 2024 (BC $24.99) – made with the Marquette grape. It has a light red cherry colour. Light red fruits and rhubarb aromas. A thicker, round and soft mouthfeel. Red fruit and rhubarb on the palate. Medium acidity and medium length.
Monte Creek Winery Living Land Gamay Noir 2022 (BC $ Club Members only) – This wine has a medium-intensity clear garnet colour. Very light red fruit and red cherry nose. Light body with a soft mouthfeel. Red fruits, some candied cherries and a touch of herbaceousness on the palate. Med intensity, fine-grained tannins. Medium-plus length with a touch of pepperiness on the finish. –
Monte Creek Winery Living Land Cabernet Franc 2022 (BC $28.99) – A medium intensity, slightly dull garnet colour. Dry, medium body with a smooth mouthfeel. Red fruit and capsicum flavours along with a touch of candied cherries, and some pepperiness toward the finish. Medium-plus length with a mix of puckering acidity and drying tannins on the finish. –
Monte Creek Winery Split Decision NV (BC $24.99) – made with 50% blueberries and 50% Riesling grapes using the Charmat method for the sparkle. It has a medium intensity, very translucent cherry colour. Lots of blueberry aromas in the glass. Medium body, dry, with high acidity and lots of tiny bubbles. Fresh blueberry flavour persists to the finish. Fresh and delicious. –
Monte Creek Winery Living Land Sparkling 2022 (BC $24.99) – made with the La Crescent grape. It has a bright, deep lemon colour. Bramble leaf, citrus, and peach aromas. It is off-dry, medium-plus body with high acidity and medium-sized creamy bubbles. Fresh stone fruit and bramble leaf on the palate. Medium length, finishing with fresh, tart stone fruit flavours. –
Monte Creek Winery Living Land Pinot Noir 2023 (BC $29.99) – A medium-minus intensity, translucent garnet in the glass. Light aromas of red cherries and cranberries. Dry, light body with a soft mouthfeel. Light aromas of violets, red fruit and a touch of rhubarb. Medium acidity and light tannins. Medium-plus length with a touch of pepperiness on the finish. –
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
All these wines can be purchased online via the Monte Creek Winery website. Many are available at BC Liquor stores, select Save on Foods, and Everything Wine stores.
