Meet the Team
Kelsey Rufiange
Kelsey leads the small team of Echo Bay in the vineyard and the cellar. Her interest in the wine industry peaked when the family decided to turn the farm into a grape-growing business. In 2013, as Kelsey travelled to New Zealand to study Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University, the vineyard planting at Echo Bay began. She continued her wine education with subsequent harvests in New Zealand, Australia and the US before returning home. Building upon this knowledge, Kelsey’s curiosity about the natural world leads her to continually experiment with different holistic farming techniques focused on building soil health. She’s most at home on the farm, caring for the animals, Chip and Dale, the Kunekune pigs and the flock of chickens and ducks. Alongside the classic Bordeaux-style wines Kelsey makes for Echo Bay, she created Else Wines, a side project that satisfies her experimental side in the cellar.
Kelsey leads the small team of Echo Bay in the vineyard and the cellar. Her interest in the wine industry peaked when the family decided to turn the farm into a grape-growing business. In 2013, as Kelsey travelled to New Zealand to study Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University, the vineyard planting at Echo Bay began. She continued her wine education with subsequent harvests in New Zealand, Australia and the US before returning home. Building upon this knowledge, Kelsey’s curiosity about the natural world leads her to continually experiment with different holistic farming techniques focused on building soil health. She’s most at home on the farm, caring for the animals, Chip and Dale, the Kunekune pigs and the flock of chickens and ducks. Alongside the classic Bordeaux-style wines Kelsey makes for Echo Bay, she created Else Wines, a side project that satisfies her experimental side in the cellar.
Kathy Rufiange
Kathy is our vineyard mama! You can find her caretaking amongst the vines or toiling away in the garden. She is the lead family and social convenor - and in general, the voice of reason and support around an ever-dynamic and busy vineyard.
Kathy is our vineyard mama! You can find her caretaking amongst the vines or toiling away in the garden. She is the lead family and social convenor - and in general, the voice of reason and support around an ever-dynamic and busy vineyard.
Mark Rufiange
Mark leads up our business end of things, but this is not to say he doesn’t get his hands dirty! He is our fix-it-man, irrigation expert, logistics ace and arguably his most important role: our head coffee roaster.
Mark leads up our business end of things, but this is not to say he doesn’t get his hands dirty! He is our fix-it-man, irrigation expert, logistics ace and arguably his most important role: our head coffee roaster.
Lynda and Bryan
Apart from being two of the most wonderful people to have graced the Echo Bay property, they are extraordinary landscapers and help seasonally, wherever needed. Bryan is a jack-of-all-trades, and Lynda is a skillful chef who creates tasty treats that nourish the Echo Bay team.
Apart from being two of the most wonderful people to have graced the Echo Bay property, they are extraordinary landscapers and help seasonally, wherever needed. Bryan is a jack-of-all-trades, and Lynda is a skillful chef who creates tasty treats that nourish the Echo Bay team.
