Meet the Winemakers of Kamloops

Winemakers are an essential part of any winery team, combining art and science in a highly skilled way to create incredible wines. Say cheers to the winemakers behind your favourite beverage at one of Kamloops' four wineries and try one of their new 2021 releases.

John Woodward
Privato Vineyard & Winery

Inspired by traditional Burgundy style wines that use the best of BC terroir, owner and winemaker John Woodward sources grapes from Privato Vineyard's estate and select vineyard partners in the Okanagan. Vinted and aged in small vineyard lots, the wines reflect the specific site and terroir that the grapes come from, which might be a single vineyard or a blend of sites. This year the team is excited for the release of the Casato Merlot in April, following the first vintage selling out after winning Gold at the All Canadian Wine Championships. Casato is Italian for ‘family farm’ and is a tribute to the Woodward family and the return of John’s three sons to the business.

Doug Wood
Sagewood Winery

Coming from a line of farmers, Doug Wood had a long-time interest in winemaking before planting his first vineyard at Sagewood Estate Winery in 2005. His favourite grape varietals are the aromatic Germanic whites such as Gewurztraminer and Riesling, with a particular passion for dry and off-dry styles of white and red wines. This year’s releases include a full-bodied fruit-forward Marechal Foch, a complex fruit Rose, and aromatic Gewurztraminer with classic flavours of white fruits, and Gnarled Rhapsody, which is a Bordeaux style blend that has been crafted using estate-grown Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes.

Sébastian Hotte
Harper's Trail Winery

Certified sommelier Sébastien Hotte worked in wine-crafting for small, award-winning winery teams in BC before joining Harper’s Trail, and his individual approach to wine and low-intervention philosophy sees him moving the vineyard towards organic and biodynamic practices. Later this summer Sébastien’s first vintage will be released as the winery-exclusive 2020 Pinot Gris, followed by the 2020 Rosé, 2020 Field Blend White, 2020 Pioneer Block Riesling and 2020 Silver Mane Block Riesling. The 2020 vintage celebrates 10 years of wine at Harper’s Trail with special small lot reserve wines that will be released later in the year.

Galen Barnhardt
Monte Creek Winery

Winemaker Galen Barnhardt’s ideal wines are balanced and elegant ones that represent the unique South Thompson terroir. Hailing from North Shuswap, Galen combines his academic knowledge with his experience of travelling the world and working in Australia, Oregon, and Kelowna wineries. Taste the international influences in Monte Creek Winery's 2019 Riesling and 2019 Rose releases this year.

With many wineries making small lot wines and offering them as winery-exclusives, a visit to the tasting room is the best way to pick up one of these special sips. Leave the driving to the professionals and hop in with one of our local expert tour guides.