No products in the cart.
- SommWine's Ultimate Guide to WSET Level 1 is only $25
What’s New at Monte Creek Winery? Organic Vineyards, Hybrid Grapes & a New Winemaker
Organic Vineyards, Quality Hybrid Grapes & a New Winemaker
Photo Credit: insta @11.eleven.social
There’s plenty that’s new at Monte Creek Winery near Kamloops, British Columbia. If it’s been a few years since your last visit, it might be time to plan another one.
On our recent trip, Winery Operations Manager, Karen Adair toured us through the vineyard as we discovered that plenty has changed since I last wrote about the winery.
There’s a new winemaker at the helm, an impressive new production facility, a greenhouse quietly helping shape the vineyard’s future, and one of British Columbia’s most exciting restaurants for lunch with a view.
But perhaps the biggest story isn’t inside the winery at all—it’s happening in the vineyard.
Table of Contents - What's New at Monte Creek Winery
Clickable links
A New Winemaker: Familiar Philosophy
When a winery announces a new winemaker the first question we ask is, “Will the wines change?”
Fortunately for us, the answer to the question above is “No!“
New winemaker Jesse Steinley spent the past six years working shoulder-to-shoulder with former Head Winemaker Galen Barnhardt before taking the reins. Jesse’s resume includes time at Sunnybrae Vineyards and Recline Ridge in the Shuswap which is BC’s most northerly appellation, as well as wineries in Ontario, making him well prepared to guide Monte Creek into its next chapter.
There’s also a tendency for some BC producers to rely too heavily on new oak barrels in the pursuit of bigger, bolder red wines. Monte Creek has consistently taken a different path, using oak with restraint so that freshness, balance and fruit remain at the forefront.
Jesse has inherited a winery with a clear direction—and the opportunity to continue building on its success.
We’re looking forward to watching this space!
And look! We met the Assistant Winemaker (see photo) while he was weeding between the concrete. Proof that working at a winery isn’t all swirling glasses and tasting barrels. One day you’re blending wines, the next you’re battling dandelions.
Organic from Vineyard to Winery + A Shiny New Home for the Red Wines
What's New at Monte Creek Winery
As of 2023, all of Monte Creek Winery’s vineyards—in the Thompson Valley and the Similkameen Valley—as well as the winery’s production facility are all certified organic through Ecocert Canada.
New at Monte Creek Winery is a fancy winemaking facility dedicated entirely to red wine production. This gives the team separate spaces for white wines and for reds and rosés, allowing each style to be handled in an environment designed around its specific needs.
And yes, we love shiny new winemaking equipment as much as the next wine lover.
One of the newest additions is a modern basket press (see photo), traditionally prized for applying gentle, even pressure to the grapes. This helps extract juice while limiting the crushing of seeds and skins, which can reduce the risk of harsh or bitter flavours in high-quality red wines. They are quite labour intensive as you need to empty and clean them after each batch.
Curious about equipment like basket presses and how winemaking decisions shape what ends up in your glass? Learn more by taking one of our online wine courses!
Why Monte Creek Winery is Leading the Hybrid Grape Conversation
I’m advocating for a fresh look at hybrid grape varieties. Here me out…
Nearly every famous wine grape—Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—is part of the Vitis vinifera species. After the phylloxera epidemic devastated vineyards in the 19th century, breeders crossed these European vines with hardy North American species to create hybrids that could better withstand pests and cold.
Early hybrids earned a reputation for producing “foxy” wines, and they’ve lived in the shadows of Vitis vinifera ever since. But modern plant breeding has come a long way. Today’s hybrids can produce increasingly high-quality wines while offering exceptional cold hardiness and disease resistance—qualities that make them especially well suited to organic viticulture and cooler regions like British Columbia.
Monte Creek Winery deserves credit for helping bring hybrid grapes into British Columbia’s VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) system. Working with the British Columbia Wine Authority, the winery helped gain VQA approval for Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris, Frontenac Noir, Marquette, La Crescent and Marechal Foch.
These aren’t simply grapes that survive BC’s climate—they’re now officially recognized as producing quality wines.
Let's Take A Fresh Look At Marechal Foch
Of the group, Marechal Foch is the variety I’d most like to see wine professionals revisit. While it may never rival Bordeaux or Barolo after decades in the cellar, I’ve enjoyed several excellent 5- to 8-year-old examples with none of the “foxy” character that gave hybrids their early reputation. It makes me wonder what we’ll be saying about today’s hybrids in another 10 or 20 years.
On this point, Monte Creek continues to refine its approach. The team now spur-prunes its Marechal Foch and performs a green harvest each August, reducing yields so the vines concentrate their energy on fewer grape clusters. The payoff? Better fruit and, ultimately, better wine.
Featured Promotion:
You know what you love — we help you say why.
Explore the world of wine through WSET Level 1 & 2 courses with SommWine.
Fun, approachable, and through the world’s leading wine education program!
Level 1 Wines $349
Discover 8 classic grape varieties, 16 benchmark European wines, and the essentials of food and wine pairing in this beginner level course.
- 4-week course
Level 2 Wines $699
This intermediate-level course explores 22 key grape varieties, 70 benchmark European wines, and the foundations of food and wine pairing.
- 5-week course
Bonus: Register with SommWine and get free access to our Ultimate Guide —
Geo Textile Sheets and Burying the Vines - How to Keep Vines Warm
The last time I wrote about Monte Creek Winery, the team was experimenting with geotextile sheets, or “earth fabric”—essentially blankets for grapevines. These covers can raise the temperature around the vines by as much as 6°C, helping protect them during severe winter freezes like the one BC experienced in 2024.
Viticulturist Dominik Hensler uses this method in the Similkameen vineyards. At the Thompson Valley estate, the team also mounds about six inches of soil over the base of the vines before winter for added protection. This wasn’t former winemaker’s Galen’s favoured approach as he didn’t like messing with the soil. Still, I’m sure he’d agree, it’s preferable to vine death.
According to Winery Operations Manager Karen Adair, the hybrid varieties generally need just one of these methods to stay warm over winter. Traditional Vitis vinifera vines, however, require both during extreme cold snaps like the one experienced in 2024.
Concrete Eggs
For those of you who adore Monte Creek’s Living Land Chardonay, you’ll need to visit your nearest Keg Steakhouse or Joey’s Seafood as they’ve purchased the winery’s entire allocation. It’s also on sale at BC Liquor Stores for a few more days at just $14.99 (regular $19.99).
Pictured here are concrete eggs for ageing white wines at Monte Creek Winery. The egg shape aids a natural whirlpool flow within and it helps to naturally cool the must during fermentation – maintaining fruity aromas and flavours. It’s also a great way to bring some oxidation to white wines without adding oak flavours. If you’d like to learn more about winemaking, start with a beginner online wine course!
Lunch at The Terrace Restaurant, Pop Up Dinners and Summer Night Markets
Of course, when wine tasting, we’ll eventually work up an appetite!
The Terrace Restaurant has become a destination in its own right, serving seasonal salads, artisan pizzas and desserts that make it very difficult to leave without ordering “just one more thing.”
For me, that was the Lemon Mascarpone Mousse. Zero regrets.
But there’s more to Monte Creek than great food and wine. Throughout the year, the winery hosts a variety of special events that give visitors even more reasons to return. Join a Pop-Up Dinner by Sage & Plate Catering, challenge your creativity at a Lego Build & Sip afternoon, unwind with yoga among the vines, or take part in a watercolour painting workshop.
During the summer, the winery also hosts its popular Summer Night Markets, featuring local artisans, live music and delicious food trucks. It’s a wonderful way to spend a warm evening with a glass of wine in hand.
A Greenhouse That Solves a Very British Columbian Problem
One of my favourite discoveries was a very large greenhouse.
On average each year, BC’s vine growers lose roughly 10% of their vines to winter damage, disease or age.
So Monte Creek built a massive new greenhouse where replacement grapevines are propagated before being planted in the vineyard. It’s a busy place before planting season, but for the rest of the year, it doubles as an intimate venue for private events. And thanks to the winery’s location just outside the city of Kamloops, the stars put on quite a show once the sun goes down—a pretty magical backdrop for a glass of BC wine.
Keep reading for the tasting notes below!
Featured Promotion:
Are you a WSET wine student?
Check out our mobile-friendly guides designed specifically for your WSET wine course
- written by a certified-WSET educator
- videos, flashcards, mindmaps + hundreds of multiple choice questions
- pass with high marks while saving time!
Your Ultimate Study Buddy
and backed by our 15-day 100% money back guarantee
Tasting Notes
The winery owns 3 vineyards: the Monte Creek Vineyard which is surrounding the tasting room, the Lion’s Head Vineyard which is across the Thompson River and their Keremeos Vineyard in the Similkameen Valley.
Monte Creek Living Land Organic Sparkling Rosé, Thompson Valley BC VQA 2025, 12% abv $24.99
Pale salmon in colour. Made using the Charmat (Martinotti) method, this sparkling wine is immediately charming on the nose, offering delicate blossoms, fresh strawberries, grapefruit zest and ripe peach in a medium-intensity aromatic profile. While it’s not a particularly complex wine, it doesn’t need to be—it simply delivers everything you want it to, fresh and delicious. Off-dry, beautifully balanced, with 12% alcohol and a medium-length finish. Made with 85% Marquette and 15% La Crescent from their vineyards in the Thompson Valley. These are two of the hybrid varieties that are now VQA approved.
Enjoy it on its own, with a picnic or fresh sushi.
89.5 points
Monte Creek Living Land Frontenac Gris, Thompson Valley BC VQA 2025, 12.2% abv $24.99
Pale straw in colour, this wine opens with pronounced aromas of melon, fresh pineapple, cantaloupe and white blossoms. It’s an excellent choice for those who enjoy ripe fruit and a fuller-bodied style without sacrificing freshness. The palate delivers ripe tropical fruit before finishing with refreshing notes of lime zest, mouthwatering citrus juice and a hint of lime pith, all wrapped in an off-dry frame. A natural pairing for spicy cuisine, where its touch of sweetness helps tame the heat.
86 points
Monte Creek Living Land Riesling, BC VQA 2023, 10.8% abv $25.99
A blend of grapes from all 3 of their vineyards, this is fresh and easy to enjoy. It offers inviting aromas of white nectarine, lime and delicate white blossoms. A touch of sweetness is balanced by bright, refreshing acidity, while the lighter body keeps it crisp and approachable. The flavours linger nicely, making it a lovely choice for sipping on its own or pairing with lightly spiced dishes.
89 points
Monte Creek Ancient Waters Organic Pinot Noir Rosé, Similkameen Valley BC VQA 2025, 12.5% abv $29.99
Made from Pinot Noir grown in the Similkameen Valley, this rosé is pale pink in colour with pronounced aromas of peach bubblegum and fresh strawberries. The palate is well balanced, with medium acidity, body and alcohol, allowing the vibrant fruit to shine. What sets this wine apart is its surprisingly long finish, where delicate floral blossom notes linger long after each sip. Psst, one of the secrets to making this wine, is they dry the vine stems and add them back to the vat while the wine is fermenting.
88 points
Monte Creek Living Land Foch, Thompson Valley, BC VQA 2023, 13% abv $26.99
Medium ruby in colour, this wine opens with vibrant aromas of black cherry, red cherry, sagebrush, tumbleweed, leather and violets. Its low tannins are in a medium frame with a medium-length finish. Layers of blueberry, cherry and floral violet notes emerge on the palate before finishing with a subtle touch of spice. The restrained use of oak allows the fruit to take centre stage, with 68% of the wine aged in neutral oak foudres and only 32% matured in barrel, adding texture and complexity without overpowering the wine.
Sit on the patio at The Terrace Restaurant and order this with the Margherita Pizza.
Drink now or hold for 4 more years.
90 points
Monte Creek Living Land Cabernet Franc, Okanagan Valley BC VQA 2022, 14% abv $28.99
Medium ruby in colour, the Cabernet Franc‘s from Monte Creek hold a place in my heart. This one has 10% Merlot grapes added, both are from purchased fruit and Karen says they’re not sure how long they will be producing it as they want to focus on their own fruit. Pronounced aromas of red and black cherries, sandalwood, nutmeg and earthy undertones. Bright, refreshing acidity keeps everything lively, while medium tannins provide just enough structure without stealing the spotlight. The palate is plush yet balanced, carrying the cherry fruit through to a medium-plus finish with a gentle whisper of spice.
93 Points
Monte Creek Living Land Cabernet Merlot BC VQA 2022, 14% abv $28.99
Made from 66% Merlot and 34% Cabernet Franc, this blend was aged for 24–36 months in French oak. It offers inviting aromas of strawberries, red plums and a subtle herbaceous note from partial stem inclusion. The palate is fresh and balanced, with mouthwatering acidity, medium body, tannins and alcohol, finishing with a medium-length red fruit finish.
Alas, this is the last vintage of this wine. As it was made from purchased fruit, Monte Creek has chosen to focus exclusively on wines produced from its own certified organic vineyards.
88 Points
Final Thoughts
Monte Creek Winery continues to prove that innovation doesn’t always mean abandoning tradition.
Whether it’s championing hybrid grape varieties, achieving organic certification, investing in new vineyard infrastructure or ensuring a seamless transition between winemakers, the winery is clearly planning for the future while staying true to the values that helped build its reputation.
If your last visit was a few years ago, you’ll certainly notice what’s new.
And if you’ve never visited before, there’s never been a better time to discover one of British Columbia’s most forward-thinking wineries.
Have you tried any of BC’s hybrid grape varieties?
If so, which one surprised you the most?
If you like what you see, go on and share it!
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on email
No comment yet, add your voice below!