With spring weather finally arriving, Kamloops wineries are gearing up for the start of the season. Touring companies are expecting bookings to increase as two local wineries are now open.
“We’re expecting another crazy busy summer season and more of the same. More and more awareness brings more people,” said Gordon Stamp-Vincent, owner of TasteFull Excursions.
Terri Axani of DiVine Tours said she is booking well into the summer as interest in the Wine Trail gets an earlier start each year.
The creation of the Kamloops Wine Trail and Kamloops Wineries Association has brought more attention to the budding Thompson Valley wine industry in the last two years.
Harper’s Trail Estate Winery opened its tasting room Saturday, with hours running 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays until April 30th. Starting May 1st, and for the rest of the summer, it will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Privato Vineyard and Winery opens for the summer on April 29th, with tasting room hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Sagewood will be open on weekends starting April 1st. Monte Creek Ranch Winery is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but will extend its hours and open the Terrace restaurant in May.
Fantastic day to show off the vineyard and tasting room @MonteCreekRanch #divinetours @KamWineTrail @ExploreKamloops pic.twitter.com/vdgGVNwO7O
— Terri Axani (@Divinetourskam) March 15, 2017
Monte Creek has already seen an uptick in visitors, much sooner than it did last year said marketing coordinator Ashley Demedeiros.
“We’ve already seen numbers increase significantly on weekends in the last month,” she said. “Our numbers were pretty steady over the winter but we’ve seen an increase much sooner than we did last year so business is booming for us, that’s for sure. And definitely a huge difference from last year.”
Check out kamloopswinetrail.com for more information on local wineries.
