Sip, Style, Repeat: Discovering BC’s Coolest Hidden Wine Scene

Kamloops might not be the first place that comes to mind for a wine getaway—but according to producer Georgia Waters, that’s exactly what makes it so special. In the latest episode of GUIDES, she and the Vin Van duo uncover a rugged, cinematic side of BC wine country—think hoodoos, sagebrush, and intimate, family-run vineyards. We caught up with Georgia to talk hidden gems, must-do moments, and why this under-the-radar region is about to be on everyone’s travel list. —Noa Nichol

Kamloops isn’t the first place people think of for wine—what surprised you most about the region when filming this episode?

The thing that hit us first was the landscape. This wasn’t the BC we’d grown used to on the sea to sky, with the lush rain forests, ferns, and mountains. It felt like stepping into a Western, with expansive desert-like terrain, wild horses, cattle, and sage brush. But then there were parts that still felt luscious with vivid greens and blues of the waterways. It felt romantic and otherworldly. We kept saying ‘we can’t believe this is BC’.  

 The people were also ridiculously friendly, everyone seemed happy and helpful, and just curious about what we were doing there. 

You describe it as a “hidden gem”—what makes this wine scene feel different from more well-known BC regions like the Okanagan?

On a practical note, their ‘ripening’ season is longer, due to being further north with shorter days and colder nights. This means the grapes can stay on the vines for longer. I don’t know if it’s linked, but all the wineries out there also grow a lot of their own grapes, which isn’t always the case, so when you’re visiting the tasting room, you can just  step out into their vineyards where the winemakers are actually growing or harvesting. That feels quite special.

There’s also such a unique feel to each winery out there, going on the theme of visiting Kamloops being like stumbling onto a film set; each winery felt like its own separate film, we have the bucolic idyll at Privato, with gorgeous gardens, pumpkins, and rugged winemakers, then the rustic authenticity of tiny Sagewood with father and son winemakers Doug and Nic, and the massive expanse of impressive Monte Creek.  

For someone planning a trip, how would you map out the perfect Kamloops wine day—from first sip to sunset?

I would follow what we did for our episode. During production, we actually stayed in an airbnb nearby on a lake, so if you can do that, I would suggest a morning dip for a fresh start. Then that fresh early light in Privato was genuinely breathtaking, because it was late September, there was a mist that rose up over their gardens and vineyards in the valley, only then to be sunbaked as the sun got higher. 

Definitely bring a picnic for lunch at Sagewood. Doug and Nic kindly put a picnic table right out in the vineyard, so we could look at the stunning views as we ate and drank wine. Not bad for a production lunch. Honestly, heaven. 

Then we made our way over to Monte Creek, which was simply huge. They have a restaurant & tasting room, but we took a walk through their vineyards at sunset, which are nestled in the dusty mountains next to the train track. 

The landscapes sound incredible—hoodoos, sagebrush, ravines—what were the most jaw-dropping spots you’d tell travellers not to miss?

The red rocks of the hoodoos are unforgettable, they feel almost otherworldly. They came to life at sunset while we were shooting, bringing a new meaning to ‘magic hour’. 

Driving through the valley in general is stunning, especially as the light changes throughout the day, that kind of ‘are you kidding me?!’ beauty. There are so many moments where you just want to pull over and take it in. 

We drove past salt pools, with bright red rims made from high alkaline and saline waters. Again, small moments like these make you feel in another world. 

And you can’t miss sunset at Monte Creek. That was a real moment where we all collectively went ‘this is insane’. 

You met some amazing local winemakers—was there one story or personality that really stuck with you?

They were all really interesting, super passionate and knowledgeable. It’s hard to pull out favourites, but I think we all had an extra soft spot for father and son Doug and Nic, from Sagewood. They joined us for our picnic, and were entertaining us with their stories of running a boutique winery, including trying to battle off the bears from eating all the grapes. Turns out bears can get through a hell of a lot of grapes in one sitting. 

Doug bought the winery when Nic was only one, and they planted every single vine themselves. It’s only the two of them working on it, so theirs is the definition of boutique winery, it doesn’t get any quainter or smaller than this!

From a production standpoint, they were also super helpful. We wanted to do some grape stomping with the Vin Van duo, and Doug kindly called me saying he had some freshly picked grapes that he would keep by for us to stomp. A producer’s dream when people make things easy and fun for you!

For wine lovers who might feel intimidated, how does this region make wine feel more fun and approachable?

Everyone is just so friendly, and despite being clearly experts in their field, knowing all about the intricacies of wine making, they all agreed that the baseline for enjoying wine should be ‘does it taste good’? That’s a barrier to entry that anyone can get behind. 

They’re all proud of what they do, but it was obvious to these winemakers, what matters most is simply enjoying their wine. Something we all got very good at on this trip. And there is no standing to attention and being formal. We were there to have fun, and so were the winemakers, which I think shows in the episode.

What’s one underrated travel tip you picked up while filming—something only locals or insiders would know?

Source a great picnic! We missed the farmer’s market, which runs Wednesdays and Saturdays, so if we did it again, we would definitely go to pick up all the fresh local goods to take with us. 

But I would advise giving lots of time to actually speak to the locals and winemakers, hearing their stories. While we were in the vineyard of Monte Creek watching the train roll through the vines, Trish from the Kamloops Wine Trail told us about it actually being the site of the last train robbery by the “Gentleman Bandit” Bill Miner in 1906. So it doesn’t just feel like stepping into a Western, there is a real bandit history in the area.

The Vin Van duo bring such a cool, effortless vibe—how does style and travel intersect for you when creating these kinds of experiences?

As a production crew, the baseline has to be function. You have to be ready to lift, move, and get dirty. But I would say on top of that, we’re a style forward crew, we like to get creative, we love a bit of bold colour, and like to play and the Vin Van girls are on our wavelength. When we’re travelling, we’re in the mood to experience new things, experiment, absorb local culture and have fun. The two things go hand in hand. And we always enjoy curating and looking good to feel good. 

Style is another way of storytelling, of expressing ourselves, and so it’s always fun getting to play with that. 

Beyond wine, what else should visitors add to their Kamloops itinerary to really experience the area?

Choose your own adventure! There’s golf with the most incredible views, and you could do as we did and bring some wines to sip on as you play. There’s a huge array of hikes, gravel biking, trail running, and lake lounging. If you go in spring, you could even add in some skiing. 

We stayed on Paul lake which was a bit of a drive to the wineries, but it meant we could swim at the end of the day and enjoy the sunset views from our deck with wines that we’d picked up from the day. The dream. 

If you had to sum up Kamloops in three words—and one must-pack item for the trip—what would they be?

Wild, beautiful, surprising. A coolbox, to take your picnic in, and then to stock with wines for the return.