Harper’s Trail Estate Winery – Kamloops, Thompson-Okanagan, British Columbia
A lot of people may disagree with me and claim the unofficial beginning of summer is the May long weekend, but I think we need to give Mother’s Day some credit for bringing on summer – you need only to visit a garden centre, florist or grocery store to see all the flowers and plants that are out to celebrate this day. Not only that, the home patio is power washed, then the barbeque comes out; lunch, brunch and spa dates are organized. Oh yes, let’s not forget the wine.
So here are a few suggestion to celebrate Mothers everywhere on this special day. May it be a beautiful one filled with love and good memories for you.
The above photo of Harper’s Trail Estate Winery was taken in April 2022. Little did we know then that Vicki and Ed Collett were seriously thinking of retiring after 16 years of operating the winery and vineyard. They had kicked this crazy idea around a bit several times during those years, but this time, at the end of May 2023, the doors on this beautiful, ranch-style winery and vineyard on the outskirts of the city of Kamloops will close. This is so sad on many counts, but for me, it is especially so because this winery was the first Kamloops winery I visited when we moved here and I fell in love with it and its mysterious Hoodoos. I will miss the Colletts, the summer patio that overlooks the South Thompson River and the spooky Hoodoos.
However, to celebrate and share their final vintage, the Colletts will open the tasting room one last time every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in May including a happy hour special with live music on Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. Special savings on remaining inventories and library wines will be offered. It’s supposed to be a beautiful, sunny day on Mother’s Day in the Okanagan, a perfect day to book one last tasting and take a walk around the vineyard.
From Thadd Springs Vineyard, one of the last wine releases that speaks to this terroir, is the sparkling 2019 Chardonnay. A super fresh, youthful, traditional method bubble; this sparkler is dry, medium-bodied and more fruit-driven with bright green apple, fresh pear, brioche and some toasty aromas/flavours balanced with brilliant acidity on a persistent, vibrant mousse. Enjoyed April 2023. Please see the winery site for other vintages and limited wine bundles.
Another beautiful winery to spend “Mother’s Day in the Vines” is the newly renovated and rebranded Haywire Winery in Summerland. “Haywire Winery” replaces Okanagan Crush Pad (OCP) as the new winery name with its namesake wines taking the lead. In addition, the winery is reopening with a new 1,500-square-foot lounge with new, stylish and bold labelling for Haywire wines. The new labels will feature some of the stunning mural artwork from the winery’s walls as created by Vancouver artist, Scott Sueme.
Upon arrival at the winery, Mom will be offered a glass of the extremely quaffable 2013 Vintage Bub along with some canapes at your private table (and a complimentary chocolate brownie dessert for Mom 😘). Sit back and relax and also drink in the views of Okanagan Lake from the winery’s Switchback Estate vineyard. And that is just the beginning of the 90-minute full winery experience.
Another pretty bubble from Haywire is the Pink Bub 2021. Pretty in Pink and a lovely expression of Old Vines Pinot Blanc with fresh pear, apple, citrus zest, a kiss of pepper spice and a hint of red berry on a zesty mousse. A serious but fun medium-bodied bubble to enjoy anytime… like Mother’s Day
Planning to put on a spread for Mom, here are a few food and wine suggestions:
This was an amazing pairing with Haywire’s small batch Gamay 2021 ($32), duck confit, little fingerling potatoes and sautéed sweet pearl onions. A 100% Gamay with grapes 75% whole-cluster fermented — rich and fresh with dark berry, cherry, white pepper spice, beautifully-balanced with spot-on acidity that cut through this rich dish. A little secret here… the duck confit came from Chop N Block Butchers in Kamloops, and was well-priced and as good as homemade!
Maybe something little lighter? This homemade skillet pizza with goat cheese, fresh spinach, sliced yellow and orange bell peppers with an herbed crust and topped with a mildly-spiced black bean and tomato salsa. Yowser, that was a fantastic taste experience btw and an amazing pairing to Township 7 Winery’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($30), easy-to-love and elegant with white florals, tropical fruit, fresh hay and white pepper spice flavours fresh and silky on the palate. CedarCreek Estate Winery’s organic Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($25) offered a different experience with a youthful, zesty mouthful of guava, pineapple, white pepper spice and fine herbs deliciously long and super fresh on the palate. Two different styles that were amazing with this skillet pizza.
Or, maybe something really elegant to go with Mother’s Day Sunday night dinner like a prime rib roast done rare with sautéed mini Portobello mushrooms and Vanessa Vineyard’s Right Bank red blend 2017 ($50) of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon produced from grapes sourced from the Similkameen Valley. Deep dark and delicious with dark cherry, liquid purple plum, blackberry, cassis, savoury herbs, soft, mouthcoating, sensuous and rich…Yep, Mom would love it.
Or, perhaps something a little less complicated but just as delicious! A really cheesy lobster mac-n-cheese and a perfect pairing to Fort Berens Estate Winery White Gold Reserve 2020 Chardonnay ($30), brilliantly fresh and youthful, dry, medium-bodied with light intensity aromas of white florals, yellow apple, pineapple, lemon tarte, white pepper, well-integrated oak spice and minerally notes balanced with mouth-watering acidity (cut through the lobster mac n cheese like a hot knife through cheese) 
Tasted March 2023.
Then there are gifts of wine, of which there are many, but here are a few of my faves.
A hot, sunny day is a perfect pairing to this super fresh, lush and tangy new release from Fort Berens Estate Winery. Produced from 100% estate grown Pinot Noir (70%), Merlot (16%), Cabernet Franc (13%) with the balance in Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 rosé blend is fragrant with pink florals, orange citrus, bright cherry, raspberry aromas and is creamy and zesty with a light spritz so crisp on the palate (bottled in March 2023). Grapes were destemmed, lightly crushed and in contact with their skins for up to 12 hours followed by a long, cold fermentation and some time on the lees. Elegant, beautifully-balanced and dangerously drinkable, enjoy now to 2024. Tasted May 2023. $22
Love the artwork by British Columbia’s Andrea Soos on the label and looove the pretty 95% Zweigelt and 5% Schönburger rosé blend inside the bottle. From Roche Winery on the Naramata Bench, Vig(nerons) is a very easy-to-love and enticing, dry, medium-bodied rosé; a pretty, light vermillion pink in the glass, fragrant with pink florals, melon, red berry, rosehip tea, rhubarb, light citrusy and minerally flavours creamy and refreshing on the palate. Graceful and elegant, drink this pretty one from 2023 to 2025 on its own, or pair it with brunch dishes like a smoked salmon eggs Benny. Tasted April 2023. $22
Hester Creek Estate Winery’s Old Vines Cabernet Franc 2020 is dry, full-bodied, meaty and concentrated Cab Franc with layers of liquid cherry, rich plum, dark berries, anise, dried sweet tobacco leaf, vanilla with just the right balance of toasty oak spice and fresh acidity harmoniously long on the palate. Tannins are rich, velvety and fine-grained. The wine is very approachable now, or cellar to 2025 as it will continue to evolve in bottle. Produced from 100% Cabernet Franc sourced from 50-year-old vines from the estate’s Block 3 Vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench. Absolutely beautiful now and promising to be a stunner in a couple of years. Tasted April 2023 and paired with a roast leg of lamb. $30
Best Viognier Tightrope Winery has made yet. Delicious and spot on balanced in every way, the wine is fresh and fragrant with warm white florals, ripe apple, Anjou pear, apricot, vanilla and ginger spice rich and satiny with bright acidity on the palate. Sourced from the winery’s estate Fleet Road Vineyard, grapes are sustainably grown, hand-harvested and for the 2021 vintage, vines were shoot and leaf-thinned with fruit dropped to one cluster per shoot. Grapes were whole cluster pressed and the juice settled out for three days prior to being racked off for fermentation in a combination of French oak & Acacia barrels. The wine was aged on its lees for three months giving the wine its silky-satiny flow and finish. Absolutely lovely now. Tasted April 2023. $27
And finally, some wise words from Harper’s Trail Estate Winery:
cultureofwine 