Monte Creek Winery in the Thompson Valley

It’s not surprising that almost all the attention paid to British Columbia’s wines focuses on the Okanagan Valley. It does, after all, produce something like four-fifths of the province’s wine in normal years. And while the wines of Vancouver Island and Similkameen Valley get a look in, very little notice is taken of the rest of British Columbia’s nine designated wine regions.

One is the Thompson Valley, located in the valleys of the North and South Thompson Rivers, around Kamloops, a four-hour drive northeast from Vancouver. The appellation was created in 2018, and the largest of its three wineries is Monte Creek, which has vineyards on both sides of the South Thompson River.

Monte Creek produces a range of high-performing wines from these vineyards. The valley lies east-west and a steady, fresh breeze means that although daytime temperatures during the growing season are as high or higher than the Okanagan Valley, they cool off more quickly in the evening. The result is ripe grapes with very good levels of acidity. The combination shows in Monte Creek Riesling 2022, which has bright, defined flavours with vibrant acidity, and in Monte Creek Gamay Noir 2022, which delivers ripe, layered red fruit and a lovely fresh texture.

In addition to these vineyards, Monte Creek also grows grapes in the Similkameen Valley. Winemaker Galen Barnhardt says “we get a completely different fruit profile” from the Similkameen Valley and its longer growing season. Some of the chardonnay and pinot noir wines are blends of Similkameen Valley and Thompson Valley grapes. Monte Creek Chardonnay 2020, matured partly in concrete and partly in oak, shows classic yellow stone fruit flavours, good palate-weight, and grippy acidity, while Monte Creek Pinot Noir 2022 sports tart red cherries and berries and a juicy texture.

Monte Creek also grows five hybrid grape varieties: marquette, la crescent, frontenac gris, frontenac blanc, and foch. Hybrid varieties such as these are becoming increasing popular, as winemakers have learned how to make high-quality wines from them. Barnhardt says of his wines from hybrid varieties that “consumers receive them very well. Younger consumers also tend to be more open-minded, and we get more and more sommeliers each year interested in trying hybrids.” He adds, “It’s the wine critics that sometimes take a bit more convincing.”

All Monte Creek’s wines show well-focused, layered fruit, fresh acidity, and excellent balance and integration. Barnhardt says that in the vineyard, he tries to achieve “the holy trinity of ripeness, when flavour, sugar, and tannins all ripen around the same time.” Not all vintages allow this, and when necessary, he harvests grapes earlier to preserve the acidity. In the winery, he says, “I prefer to make wines with lots of freshness, that showcase the natural acidity, and have moderate alcohol.”

Monte Creek Winery is set up for visitors from near and far: Kamloops has a population of just over 100,000, and it draws almost two million visitors a year. The architecture of the winery—“Mission-style-meets-regional-barn”—features a belltower, and there is a tasting-room (open year round), a shop, and a restaurant.

Thompson Valley might not be a British Columbia wine region that comes quickly to mind, but Monte Creek’s wines show it deserves serious exploration.

Some Monte Creek wines

Monte Creek Chardonnay 2020 (BC VQA British Columbia)

Monte Creek Gamay Noir 2022 (BC VQA Thompson Valley)

Monte Creek Pinot Noir 2022 (BC VQA British Columbia)

Monte Creek Riesling 2022 (BC VQA Thompson Valley)

Monte Creek Sparkling Rosé 2022 (BC VQA Thompson Valley)

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