THE TEAM BEHIND UPPERCASE

PASSION, ARTISTRY, PRECISION

OUR VISION

“At Uppercase Winery, we realize that our success will come from surrounding ourselves with the right people. Those who share our vision, and are just as passionate and dedicated as we are.”

BERT EVERTT

THE EVERTT FAMILY

Bert Evertt has had his sights on the BC wine industry for decades. In his youth, as an accomplished opera singer, Bert was afforded the opportunity to travel across Europe, where he developed an appreciation for fine wine. Over the last 40 years, his focus has been on providing the highest level of care at retirement homes throughout British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.

‍

During summer vacations in Osoyoos with his wife and three children, Bert slowly began to search for vineyards that represented the best of the Okanagan Valley. After extensively evaluating vineyards with consulting winemaker and viticulturist Pascal Madevon, Bert purchased 20 acres on the Black Sage Bench. Uppercase was born.

Caroline Schaller

Winemaker

Born and raised in Toulouse, France, Schaller completed her master’s degree in plant chemistry and biology before specializing in oenology. After completing her degree, Schaller travelled throughout the Americas, garnering experience at Pine Ridge in Napa Valley and Viña Leyda in San Antonio, Chile. Later, she returned to France to work with Petit Manseng at Domaine Cauhape (Jurançon) and Tannat at Plaimont (Madiran), before joining Domaine d'En Ségur (Côtes du Tarn) as winemaker and general manager, working with Bordeaux and Rhône varieties for 13 years. In 2017, she jumped at the chance to move to the Okanagan Valley to lead Osoyoos Larose as winemaker and general manager. She led the Canadian wine icon for four years, before taking the position of winemaker at Rainmaker Wines on the Black Sage Bench. In 2021, she was recognized with the Ordre du Mérite Agricole for her contributions to agriculture, one of only five British Columbians to receive the award from the French Ministry of Agriculture. Schaller joined Montalvino in August 2023 and oversaw harvest at all three estates.

Ruth Hanbury

Director of Operations

Ruth, originally from England, started her wine career 23 years ago in the vineyards of Central Otago in New Zealand. Since then, she has worked in all areas of the business from the vineyard to crush pad to tasting room and sales teams. She finally settled on the office, where she gets to combine her passion for the wine industry with her education in strategic planning.

Levi Gogolinski

Director of Sales & Marketing

Levi grew up on a ranch in southern Alberta before moving to the West Coast in 2008. In late 2017, after working as a territory manager for a brewery for 3 years, Levi left the hustle of downtown Vancouver and made the leap to the South Okanagan. With a profound appreciation for BC wine, a keen eye for design (she holds a BFA), and a background in beverage sales, this is the perfect position to merge her passion and experience.

‍

Carly Craik

Hospitality and Wine Club Manager

Carly has been passionate about wine since she was a child watching her father craft barrels for local wineries. She is proud to follow in his footsteps in the wine industry. She loves wine, especially for the stories and emotions it evokes. She loves creating those stories and emotions for our guests by sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with them. She believes that every bottle of wine has a unique story to tell, and enjoys helping our guests discover them.

Eduardo Rincon Montante

Vineyard Manager

With over ten years of vineyard management experience in the Okanagan Valley, Eduardo joined the High Note team in February 2023.