The Kalala Team

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  Karnail Singh Sidhu

  Proprietor | Managing Director | Viticulturist

  Brimming with knowledge and experience (over 20 years in organic agriculture), Karnail has created an excellent reputation for himself which has now transcended the Okanagan region. He started Kalala Organic Estate Winery, in 2006, he continues to own and operate the winery with his family members. He is a sought-after viticulture consultant and the proud winner of a myriad of wine awards.

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  Narinder Sidhu

  Controller

  Narinder is an irreplaceable asset to Kalala Organic Estate Winery. She was there when it began in 2006 and you could count on one hand the number of days she has taken off since then. Narinder is the “mother” of Kalala, the one that takes care of it all. Some of her major roles within Kalala include accounting, managing the sales associates, and coordinating all of the day-to-day logistics.

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  Alan Marks, Ph.D.

  Winemaking Consultant

  Dr. Alan Marks has been responsible for the creative and fine-finishing work on Kalala wines since 2006. He has made wine commercially since 1987 in the US and Canada, and relocated to the Okanagan in 1994. His has a BS and MS degree in Agriculture with emphasis on incorporating new vineyard practices to maximize wine quality, and a Ph.D. degree in Food Science/Enology.

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  Ashish Dave, Ph.D.

  Research & Development Consultant

  Dr. Ashish Dave is a leading-edge Research and Production Scientist in the field of Plant Biotechnology, heading the Research and Development division at Kalala Organic Estate Winery. At Kalala, Dr. Dave is actively involved in optimizing the best cultural and pruning practices for production of superior quality organic grapes, irrigation management, evaluation of various natural plant extracts and nutrients on improvement in grapevine vigor, yield, and juice quality.

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  Tibor (Tibby) Erdelyi

  Winemaker

  Tibby grew up in Serbia and has always been inspired by his uncle who was a winemaker. In 1989, Tibby immigrated to Canada to pursue his passion for food and wine. After many years’ as a chef in many of the finest restaurants in Vancouver, Canada, he has fully immersed himself in wine culture since moving to the Okanagan. Starting as a retail-and-marketing manager for Summerhill Pyramid Winery, he began his winemaking career with Kalala Organic Estate Winery in 2008. Tibby quickly gained great recognition for his winemaking prowess due to the numerous international and domestic awards his wines have won year after year.

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  Jessica Vanmaele

  Office & Winery Manager

  Jessica worked at Kalala Organic Estate Winery in 2016 as an Accounting Assistant, she left in 2018 to complete her bachelors degree in Business with a specialty in Accounting. She worked at BDO Kamloops for a year before rejoining Kalala as the office & winery manager. Some of her roles include marketing, human resources, accounting and events coordinator.

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  Glenn Vanmaele

  Vineyard & Juice Line Manager

  Glenn is the newest addition to the Kalala family. He is joining his wife, Jessica, and his primary role will be Vineyard & Juice Line Manager. He will be working with Karnail and Tibor to learn the intricacies of vineyard management and wine making along with running the Mobile Juice Factory during the Spring, Summer and Fall.

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  Lynette Faye

  Lower Mainland Sales

  Lynette has over 20 years’ experience in sales, marketing, and management. She is expressive, amiable, and analytical with a driving personality. Her motto is, “OK is not OK and good is not good enough.” Lynette is the master of the smooth, soft sell but never afraid to ask for the business. Outgoing and enthusiastic, she will go out of her way to help clients because she believes in the value of maintaining an ongoing relationship with them. She has worked with Kalala Organic Estate Winery since October 2012 and has been a key contributor to the success of building the Kalala brand.

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  Jamey MacDonald

  Kootenays Sales

  Jamey was born in North Vancouver and has resided in Rossland, BC for the last 23 years. His passion for skiing and golfing brought him to the Kootenays where he successfully owned and operated a leather retail business for five years. For the past three years Jamey has effectively represented many different companies in import and BC wines, refreshment beverages, and spirits, including Kalala Organic Estate Winery. Jamey feels that strong product knowledge and the ability to build relationships with customers are undoubtedly the most important qualities in liquor sales. He continues to strive for success for himself and for his customers. He believes that the industry is constantly changing and you are always learning, but most of all it is about having fun while doing your job.

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  Bruce McCartney

  Okanagan Sales

  After a lifetime in Restaurant ownership as well as sales to Retailers and Restaurants alike, Bruce McCartney relocated to the Okanagan to pursue a position in the wine industry. Utilizing his skills, he has assisted in quickly increasing Kalala’s sales in the Okanagan and Sushwap, but insists there’s a lot more room for continued growth. Bruce… Read more »