Any enterprise, including wineries, are only as good as the people that work there and the following is a testament to ours. We are proud of them.
Winemaker:
John Tummon
John is our newest addition to Kacaba Vineyards, but has been involved with wine for quite some time.
John began making wine in university in 1972. In 1988 he completed the week long German Wine Academy Course in Germany. John won the Wine Taster of the Year Award at the AWO in Peterborough in 1998 and was the first person to get perfect on the exam.
John is a prolific winemaker, winning numerous provincial, Canadian and International awards and we welcome him to our team.
Retail Staff Dave Servos, Retail Manager Dave is the person you will most likely meet if you visit Kacaba Vineyards as he is the Retail Manager, At 6'5" you can't miss him.
Vineyard Development:
H.A. Staff:
Kacaba Vineyards was very fortunate to secure the commitment of Howard Staff, a many generation grape grower in the Vineland/Jordan area. Howard has developed numerous agricultural farms in the area, including vineyards. Howard is able to take an acreage untended and overgrown to a productive vineyard-just visit Kacaba Vineyards. As a farmer, he has the experience and knowledge necessary to convert fallow land waiting for a subdivision to prime vineyard and all the equipment necessary to accomplish the task. As a member of various boards and enterprises, we are proud to have this long-standing resident of Niagara as our planter and continuing mentor. Many years of grape-growing have taught Howard when the hang-time for grapes is exhausted and it's time to bring them in.
H.A. Staff is a family business managed by wife Wendy and assisted in the operation by son Drew, who has been pressed into grape wine harvesting and processing on occasion. Daughter Sua Ann assisted us in our first vintage. By the way, she is the winemaker of the Year in Niagara for 2002.
K.C.M.S.
(Ker Crop Management Services)
Kacaba Vineyards is fortunate to have KCMS Inc. and especially Kevin Ker, an internationally recognized viticultural consultant and lecturer for more than 20 years with the government and private sector. Kevin is our vineyard "doctor", overseeing his trained staff that visits the vineyard on a routine basis to monitor activities in the vineyard. Vines and soil are regularly checked, poked, prodded and samples taken to ensure that the "patient" vines can flourish and produce premium fruit. Through these season long visits, KCMS can tell us what is going on and what is about to happen. Kevin's firm does similar intensive vineyard work for a number of wineries across Ontario and we are happy that Kacaba Vineyards is part of that group. As well, he acts as a resource person for the entire industry in Ontario and has been a frequent speaker at programs across Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Along with consulting, Kevin Ker is a member of the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) of Brock University and teaches courses to undergraduate students along with supervising multiple research projects for the National Research Council of Canada.
