Our team at Tantalus feels very fortunate to be stewards of one of BC's most historic and unique vineyards. But we also recognize it's our people who make the special link from the vineyard, to the winery, to you. Learn more about our hard-working team below:
Proprietor (pictured with daughter Maija Savics)
In the world of wine where the culture of personality is sometimes more important than the quality of wine, it’s refreshing to note that Tantalus Proprietor Eric Savics is content to be the quiet hand behind the scene at Tantalus, allowing his winery team to craft wines that have developed a reputation for quality & authenticity. Eric's considerable experience in the investment business, along with his passion for fine wine, art & travel have combined to give him the impetus to produce wines that stand out on the international stage. His day job is Vice President & Director at Haywood Securities, Vancouver British Columbia.
General Manager and Winemaker
David Paterson fills the shoes of Tantalus’ General Manager and Winemaker. David is a Kiwi with a Canadian connection, having been born in Vancouver but raised in New Zealand. He received his winemaking degree from Lincoln University in Christchurch, NZ and following time spent working in the local NZ industry (Neudorf Vineyards) he travelled the wine world gaining experience at premium wineries.
While honing his skills over a handful of international vintages, he was fortunate to work with some incredible mentors along the way including Anna Matzinger at Oregon’s Archery Summit, Blair Pethel at Burgundy's Domaine Dublère, and Stephen Henschke and Paul Hampton at South Australia’s Henschke Cellars.
Following this invaluable experience, David landed at Tantalus in 2009 to jump into the role of winemaker.
After several successful vintages under his belt, he also took on the role of GM in 2016.
Vineyard Manager
Hailing from Germany, Felix Egerer is Tantalus’ Vineyard Manager. During and after his studies in Viticulture and Enology at Geisenheim University and UC Davis, he worked in vineyards and cellars in Germany’s Pfalz and Rheingau regions and then travelled the world working in Oregon, California, Burgundy, and Australia, before landing in the Okanagan in 2016. All the while, following the European tradition of learning both the vineyard and winery aspects of wine production. He first came to Tantalus as an intern for the 2016 harvest, returned to the vineyard in early 2018, and took over the Vineyard Manager position later that year.
Assistant Winemaker
It was during Taylor’s first harvest in Marlborough New Zealand that he found his love for winemaking. Following that New Zealand experience, Taylor began making wine for his family on the Naramata Bench and continued his training with winemaking and viticulture education through Okanagan College, and subsequent harvest and winemaking jobs scattered throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen valley. He gained further niche experience with winemaking technologies as a consultant/operator and through this job he was able to work side-by-side with fellow winemakers to develop his own winemaking philosophy. This position led him to be assistant winemaker at Dirty Laundry Vineyard before coming to be part of the Tantalus winemaking team.
Sales Manager
Maya arrived at Tantalus in 2010 as a harvest volunteer. After only one week she decided she was completely in love with the winery life and made the move to the Okanagan a few months later. Over the course of 8 years, Maya has woven her way through various departments at Tantalus, landing most recently as our Sales Manager. Maya position oversees our wine sales, including coordinating with our various sales representatives both in BC and across Canada.
Marketing and Communications Manager
Vancouver born and raised, Stephanie Mosley landed at Tantalus in 2010 via work and travels through many of the world’s great wine regions. Equipped with a background in journalism and desktop publishing, Stephanie combines her communications and media expertise in managing the Tantalus brand. Day-to-day, Stephanie handles our marketing and design needs, as well as our packaging, advertising, website and social media.
Accounting
Heidy is the self-proclaimed ‘bean’ or actually the ‘bottle’ counter at Tantalus. Her responsibilities include payables, receivables, payroll, costing & tracking inventory, and providing financial and management reports. After receiving a diploma in ‘administrative management’ from BCIT, she went on to complete the courses required for a CGA designation in 1986. "I love the opportunity to come to work every day and work with the wonderful group at Tantalus and being able to be involved in all aspects of the operations including picking, bottling to pouring at wine events".
Tasting Room and Private Sales Manager
Jody obtained her BA in Geography from the University of Ottawa and worked in Hydrology before her passion for wine turned into an exciting new career path. She has travelled many wine countries and had the pleasure of living in both Australia & the Netherlands. In 2019 she moved from Vancouver to Kelowna to continue her dream to live and work within the Okanagan. Jody spends her time at the winery welcoming new guests, supporting wine shop staff and managing wine club private sales. In her spare time, Jody can be found exploring the Okanagan on a hike, cooking ethnic food or sharing a glass of pinot noir with friends & family.