The 2025 harvest season has officially wrapped up at Monte Creek Winery, and what a year it has been. From the first signs of bud break in spring to the final bins of grapes brought in this fall, this year’s growing season delivered both challenges and rewards—ultimately resulting in fruit of exceptional balance and character.
Harvest 2025 has been one of the fastest-evolving seasons experienced at Monte Creek. September in particular was exceptionally busy. Once harvest began on August 29th, the vineyard and cellar teams had to set aside all other tasks to focus entirely on the grapes. The rapid onset of harvest was unexpected, driven by warm late-summer temperatures that accelerated ripening across our vineyards.
One of the most striking lessons of this vintage is how differently the Thompson Valley performs compared to the Similkameen. While grapes in our Keremeos vineyard progressed at remarkable speed, Kamloops’s more northerly location—with cooler nights and shorter days—allowed our fruit here to remain on the vine longer. This extended hang time enhanced physical ripeness, preserved crisp acidity, and delivered a freshness that is rare in a warm, fast-paced vintage like this one. Though the wines are still in development and won’t fully reveal their character for some time, the grapes already point to two distinct styles. The Keremeos fruit shows strength and intensity, while Kamloops fruit is producing wines of elegance and balance, particularly evident in the Riesling from our Lion’s Head vineyard.
For us, this is the defining takeaway of the 2025 vintage: our northern latitude, which was once considered a disadvantage, has become one of our greatest strengths. By adapting vineyard practices to our unique climate, we’ve not only managed the challenges of recent years but are now seeing our vines and wines thrive in a terroir that once raised eyebrows. This vintage is a clear demonstration that Monte Creek’s location, combined with attentive vineyard management, produces wines of exceptional quality, expression, and balance.
As the last clusters are pressed and fermentation begins, the excitement builds for what’s to come in the cellar. Each vintage tells a story, and 2025 is shaping up to be one of balance, resilience, and optimism—both in the vineyard and in the glass.
Photos by Susan Kostelijik