Hey there, I’m Kaylee. Your winemaker at Red Barn.
Catch you on the wild side.
ABOUT. KAYLEE.
WRITTEN BY KAYLEE. FOR YOU.
Growing up in the Okanagan, I took a brief detour through Niagara to attend Brock University’s Winemaking program and completed my first vintage with Fielding Estate Winery.
I was thrilled to return home to the Okanagan in 2020, as I knew the BC wine industry was on the cutting edge, producing high-quality fruit and delicious wines.
At Red Barn, I’m excited to reimagine traditional Okanagan varieties, such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, while exploring exotic Italian grapes, like Nebbiolo and Barbera.
With grapes nurtured in our own backyard at Jagged Rock, expect some seriously fun wines that will keep you on your toes.
UNFILTERED CHATS WITH WINEMAKER
Dive into Kaylee’s dreams and decisions as she walks us through her world of rebellious winemaking.
How did the 2023 harvest turn out?
This was the earliest vintage to date with some first picks coming into the winery mid-August. From there, the team and I were full force with all the fruit coming in ahead of October 1. Throughout the season, we've seen concentrated aromatic fruit from the vine, and am happy to report that the wines are looking juicy and vibrant fresh out of fermentation. It will be exciting to see what a couple months in our concrete eggs will bring to the wines.
What wines are you looking forward to the most in the 2023 vintage?
I did a lot of experimenting this year! Not only with winemaking techniques, but also with new varieties at Red Barn. Coming out of vintage, I am most excited about the whole-cluster Gamay and Chenin Blanc.
What has been on your Spotfiy playlist during harvest season?
90’s Hip-Hop, Indie Rock and some Aussie Bands.