1577 Yankee Flats Rd.
Salmon Arm, BC
John Koopmans immigrated to Canada in 1977 from Holland, where he was born in 1956. After working in forestry and agriculture, he established his own dairy farm in 1992 on this property near Salmon Arm. When, after 14 years, he tired of milking cows, he sold the herd and, in 2007, began planting vines on a sun-drenched dome on the property.
The vineyard includes pinot gris, gewürztraminer, pinot meunier and maréchal foch, along with an experimental plot of cabernet libre (a Blattner hybrid) and regent, a winter-hardy red grape. For his first vintage in 2009, he also purchased fruit from other growers in the north Okanagan. His winemaker, Austrian-born Hans Nevrkla, previously owned Larch Hills Winery and now consults to other Shuswap wineries.