Elaine Vickers

Elaine Vickers

Get to Know our Winemaker

After completing a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology at the University of Victoria, Elaine moved to Vancouver for her first career as a Cancer Researcher. This move ended up plunging her in wine culture that quickly turned an interest in wine into a passion for it. After completing wine education courses through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), broadening her palate by working at a respected wine shop on weekends, and glimpsing all aspects of winemaking by job shadowing at a local winery; she decided it was time for a career change.

With this new-found conviction, and believing in the importance of a strong academic background, Elaine returned to school and earned a Graduate degree in Oenology at the prestigious University of Adelaide in Australia. It was an immersive, hands-on experience that continues to inform her winemaking approach today.

Upon returning to British Columbia, she worked her inaugural Okanagan harvest at Jackson-Triggs before joining Blasted Church Winery in 2010. She quickly progressed from cellar hand to assistant winemaker then winemaker, under the careful guidance of her mentor Mark Wendenburg. He refocussed her scientific mind to embrace winemaking artistry quickly and it paid off when their wines gained acclaim and recognition, including a coveted BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Award for the 2012 Holy Moly, a 100% Petit Verdot.

The result of Elaine’s talent and dedication culminated in joining the winemaking team at Andrew Peller Ltd. as the harvest winemaker for the 2018 vintage at acclaimed Black Hills Estate Winery. In August 2019, she moved into the position of winemaker at Red Rooster Winery. Elaine’s niche expertise in the Okanagan Valley made her the perfect fit for the ambitions of Red Rooster Winery and the region-specific wines they are producing.