Photos by Mary Putnam
Harper's Trail Finds Success Growing Vitis Vinifera North of 50º
Harper's Trail on the outskirts of Kamloops.
By Michael Botner “If more people knowledgeable about wine tasted our Thadd Springs Pinot Noir, they would be surprised,” says Sébastien Hotte, the winemaker at Harper’s Trail Estate Winery. Situated on the north bank of the South Thompson River on the outskirts of Kamloops, just north of the 50-degrees⁰ latitude mark, Harper’s Trail strives for excellence despite challenging, cool climate conditions for growing major Vitis vinifera grape varieties. Business travels in South America and around the world gave owners Ed and Vicki Collett the opportunity to visit wine producing areas and develop an interest in wine and food. Wineries at the base of the Andes Mountains in Chile inspired the couple to consider the Thompson Valley as a suitable place to produce wine. At the time of the launch of Harper’s Trail in 2012, Ed Collett said, “We could not see any reason that Kamloops could not grow and produce top quality wines that reflect the local climate and soil. When a 125-acre parcel became available in 2007, we did not hesitate to jump right in.”
average growing degree days are comparable to Okanagan Falls. Temperature extremes are an ever-present danger to grape growing in the Kamloops area. These include cold snaps in winter which can go below -20⁰C, frosts during bud break and excessive temperatures in summer that can be detrimental to grape ripening and health.
Originally part of the vast, storied Gang Ranch in the 19th Century, it was archetypal grass and sage-covered cattle country.
The well-drained soil is composed of clay, silt, sand and gravel with a vein of limestone that runs through the property. In 2008, the Harper’s Trail team planted seven acres of Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürtztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir and Cabernet Franc. Today’s Thadd Springs Vineyard encompasses 25.5 acres of vines and
“Unlike the Okanagan, our valley running east-west rather than north south takes full advantage of daylight hours,” Collett says. “At an elevation of 1,100 feet, Kamloops boasts semi-arid conditions, mild winters and long summers with temperatures that rank among the hottest of any city in Canada. At 1,402,
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