Meet the Team

At Georgian Hills Vineyards, we know that we are only as good as the people we work with, and thankfully we have been blessed with an abundance of talent and passion.

Like our vines, every year our team grows deeper in understanding the business of a destination winery and all the elements to making it a success and a wonderful place for people to visit.

From the vineyards, to the winery, to the tasting room, we are all committed to producing fine wines, distinct ciders and great experiences for our customers.

We love what we do, and want to share it with you!

The Partners

The original founding partners brought significant experience to the Georgian Hills Vineyards. John Ardiel, as a fourth generation apple grower, and Robert Ketchin with 40+ years of experience in wine and beverage marketing.

In the past ten years they have built a team of young and experienced talent that have taken over the key roles of viticulture, wine making, wine marketing, wine education, retail operations and wine events.

Recently, Greg Ardiel and Liam Ardiel became partners in the winery and cidery. We are excited to see what these young additions will bring to the management team at Georgian Hills Vineyard.

The Wine Makers

Ky Tynan –Wine Maker
Ky Tynan is a recent Niagara College graduate in winemaking and viticulture with considerable life experience in the wine, food and beverage industry. Following in the footsteps of Vanessa McKean and having worked together for one vintage at GHV, Ky is keen to continue the vision of evolving the regional wine taste profile using local grown cool climate grapes by experimenting with new techniques in the wine cellar and vineyard.

Thomas Bachelder – Chief Wine Advisor
Thomas’s expertise at GHV is advising on all aspects of the vinifera wine program, strategy, site selection, grape purchasing, wine making and final blending.

Vanessa McKean – Wine Maker
We were very fortunate to have Vanessa as our wine maker for 10 years. We are currently enjoying some of her more recent vintages 2017 to 2019 now on the shelf. We wish Vanessa well in her new career opportunity and thank her for her valued contributions over these past years.

The Retail Team

Laura Garbutt – Winery Destination Manager
In addition to directing all of GHV’s social marketing, Laura is responsible for managing the customer experience. From inviting people in, to welcoming them onsite, to providing unforgettable experiences, if you enjoyed yourself with us, Laura had a hand in it.

Laura doesn’t do it alone. Of the retail staff she says, “At Georgian Hills Vineyards we have a spectacular staff, and it is a true reflection of the quality we strive for in every strain of our business. From greeting and guiding, to decorating and serving, each member of our retail team is as enthusiastic about providing outstanding experiences as they are about wines.”