Julia
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Many of you have likely visited with her in the Tasting Room … she is Miranda’s Mom and the Winery’s proverbial ‘Mother Earth’. She is one of the strongest, most energetic, and hardest working of our Troupe (and she’s the oldest). She is thoughtful, kind and has a thumb greener than Mr. McGregor, keeping the winery picnic fridge stocked (pre-covid) with the freshest veggies in Naramata. In her previous life she was a primary school teacher.
If Julia won the lottery tomorrow, she’d “swoosh down silently and make a generous deposit into the accounts of single moms, who work so hard being Mom, Dad and provider”. And if she could invent a holiday, it would definitely involve big family dinners – everybody contributing – with lots of great food, wine and laughter.
Her perfect day with wine: spring or summer after a good day gardening (surprise, surprise), on the deck (semi-shade), feet up with a chilled glass of “The Other Way” or Pear wine.
And in the short term … her perfect day involves welcoming back guests (and many friends she’s made over the years) to the Tasting Room and Courtyard.
Bea
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Originally from Basel, Switzerland our Super Bea is like the most organized, detailed and productive of honeybees, the right brain of Elephant Island. She has been a key part of our Circus for almost as long as we have been the Circus … 18 years. 😳
In another life, Bea is 100% confident she was a jockey … and if you have had the pleasure of meeting her over the years you will likely have learned her love of horses. Bea has ridden in some of the most diverse places on the planet, from Iceland to Mongolia to the Grand Canyon. When not keeping Elephant Island ticking, she is an active and disturbingly fast barrel racer. Not surprisingly, if she won the lottery Bea would start a horse rescue.
A perfect day in the world of Bea: camping with the horses, hubby and friends, ‘Think Again’, Merlot with bbq steak followed by sips of Crab Apple wine around the campfire.
We are so glad to have her!
JEN
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A doer and a shaker, Jen jumped in to lead the charge, directing and nurturing the Tasting Room and Farm Experiences Program in 2022. Working her way up in retail from the time she was 15 years old, customer service has taken her across Canada and around the world. She landed in Naramata in 2020 and lucky for us, decided her creativity and wisdom had application at Elephant Island.
A dog lover of extreme proportions, on the odd occasion that Jen is late it is because she ran into a dog. If she won the lottery tomorrow, she’d start a scholarship program for women who want to work in non-traditional fields.
A perfect day for Jen would involve Naramata sunshine, a lake, sunglasses, her favorite peeps and dogs, an evening fire, and her hockey team playing on an outdoor TV, and a rotation of ‘Told You So’ and Crab Apple in her glass. Despite her diehard obsession with the Edmonton Oilers we are so glad to have Jen become an integral part of the Elephant Island family.
LAUREN
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Tightrope Walker Extraordinaire … Assistant Winemaker and Wine Club Ringmaster at Elephant Island.
A mom of 4, a hunter and classic car restorer in her spare time (we are pretty sure she doesn’t sleep much). Lauren has been an instrumental part of the Circus for the better part of 9 years. Her meticulous attention to detail is the perfect complement to Del’s “Mr. Huge-Picture” style. Her tenacious observation and work ethic in the vineyards and cellar has been key in the development of our Magic/Reserve Series and her passion for the wine she produces has made her a one-of-a-kind leader of our Club Program.
Not to mention her super smeller … Lauren’s palate and olfactory prowess is a huge asset for barrel/blending and tasting days, but not so great for her when the team indulges in Greek food the night before.
Alex
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Affectionately known as “Alex Scissorhands” around this Circus, he wields the hedge trimmer with acrobatic precision and strongman strength. In his 7 years with Elephant Island, Alex’s role has expanded in elephant-like proportions. Beginning exclusively with farm labour, Alex’s warm personality and eagerness to contribute have meant that his role has grown into crusher/press whisper, wine delivery dude, and social media/graphics producer. He indulges our endless revisions to his graphics and life advice (he is the youngest of the team) with good humor and just the occasional gluten free treat!
In another life, he is fairly sure he was a mountain goat. He and his wife Jolene can be found scrambling around the Rockies on their days off … and if he wasn’t so darn good at being “Alex Scissorhands” of Elephant Island, he would definitely be a LEGO designer. In fact, a glacially chilled glass of “I Told You So”, allows him to stay up late and moonlight in his other business of Brick building/LEGO construction.
Still on his list of Circus tasks to conquer at Elephant Island … learning to drive the Beast (our 2003 Dodge Ram) and getting some video of Del rocking in the Cellar to Britney Spears.
