Winemaker • Chaberton Estate Winery
Meet Our Winemaker.
Gary (Gennadi) Zhygailo
Snapshot
- 2016—Joined our team
- 2003—Master’s Degree in Fermentation and Winemaking Technology
- 2002—Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science
biography
Gary joined the Chaberton Team as a cellar assistant in August of 2016 and has now taken the position of winemaker here at Chaberton Estate Winery.
Growing up in the south of the Ukraine in a wine region not far from the Black Sea, Gary has always loved the beauty in living and raising a family surrounded by vineyards. He has a passion for new world Sauvignon Blanc with notes of tropical fruits and the big bold Bordeaux style reds.
Graduating from Odessa National Academy of Food Technologies with a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science in 2002 and a Master’s Degree in Fermentation and Winemaking Technology in 2003, Gary was hired on as a cellar hand at one of the largest wineries in the Ukraine. During his tenure from 2003-2009 he was promoted to assistant winemaker and then to cellar manager.
Before joining us at Chaberton, he worked in several areas of the wine industry, including as an oenologist and technical sales representative for a French producer of oenology equipment.
Outside of work, Gary loves to spend time with his family, including his three young children, camping, playing soccer, and watching hockey. He is a big fan of Dynamo Kyiv and, of course, the Vancouver Canucks.