Category: Kamloops

On my recent trip to Kamloops I stopped at Harper’s Trail, Monte Creek Ranch, and Privato Vineyard and Winery.  At Privato I was able to spend a few quick minutes to try the latest releases of wines with their host Kristin.  I tasted through several of their wines with Kristin last August.  This time I tasted their 2019 Rose, Gewurztraminer,…

Do you enjoy puzzles?  How about helping Monte Creek Ranch located in Kamloops, BC, put their winery back together?  Enjoy this interactive puzzle of the winery.  I took this picture last summer 2019. Here is my photo to help you along.

BC’s wine regions, in my opinion, can be categorized as either a very cool, cool, warm, or hot climate.  Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley I’d put into the very cool category.  Lake Country would be cool.  North Okanagan and the Kootenays, I’d regard as cool to warm.  South Okanagan, Similkameen, and Kamloops to Lillooet as hot.  These regions can…

With the COVID-19 spread and everyone hopefully staying at home to help minimize the spread, what can you do for fun?  There are only so many re-runs that you can watch on TV.  Why not try something fun with friends remotely, plus help BC wineries?  Have a virtual tasting.  If you have a laptop, tablet or smartphone, it will have…

This year I had many wines that I tasted this year that almost made my 5-star category; 27 white wines and 45 red wines.  These wines I rated as 4.5-5 stars.  When I check over them again, I can remember how much I enjoyed these wines.  Having a 4.5-5 or a 5-star rating does not mean that you need to…

Ever since I’ve been enjoying apple ciders from my Scotland trip this summer, I’ve been looking for BC-produced apple ciders. Just before the end of August, I went to Kamloops to visit the wineries there and see how their grapes were maturing.  I was surprised to see at Privato Winery an adjacent building called the Woodward Cider Co.  I was…

I have not heard of Sagewood Winery before, but I learned from Doug, the owner, that he and his wife have been growing 17 different varieties of grapes for more years than any other winery in the Kamloops area.  They are a very small production winery and do not make enough wine of each variety to enter into many wine…

Privato Vineyard & Winery is about as far north as you can get in BC for growing vitis vinifera.  In an earlier visit to Kamloops, I was told by owners John and Debbie Woodward that the hills to the north of them cannot successfully grow grapes.  Their vineyard is right at the limit of what is possible.  But what is…

Taking a last-minute trip to Kamloops before summer holidays was a great idea.  Over two days you can very pleasantly visit the four wineries that are in the area, plus do some sightseeing and enjoy a few meals at the variety of restaurants in the city.  My first stop was to Monte Creek Ranch Winery which is located about a…

Harper’s Trail Estate Winery in Kamloops has been a leader is showing the uniqueness of the area for grape growing and wine production, and has lead the way for a few other wineries like Privato and Monte Creek Ranch.  The Colletts’ 25.5-acre vineyard has a wonderful backdrop of limestone and clay cliffs.  I’ve enjoyed tasting their wines for several years…