Management Team

Derek has a history of entrepreneurial endeavors. In order to put himself through university and support expensive habits like sports cars, airplanes and boats he started several small businesses. Post-formal education, he managed several retail stores in the wine and home brewing industry. In 1988 he started work with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and spent 8 years with the television marketing & sales department. Since 1997 Derek has been with CTV television network as the News Traffic Controller for the CTV National News with Lloyd Robertson.

Derek has a thirst for learning and a passion for the wine industry! He has been an amateur wine maker for almost 20 years. He holds two diplomas from the International Wine Education Guild. He has developed his winemaking skills and knowledge through experience, experimentation, courses, endless reading as well as working at local Niagara wineries to learn the entire business.

Pat is not new to the General Manager role. For more than 20 years Pat held senior management roles in the women's fashion industry. She was general manager of two different large retail chains and had her own entrepreneurial business in medical uniforms. Pat has a great deal of buying, forecasting, budgeting and customer service experience that transition to any industry. This experience is invaluable for both wine production and retail sales at Calamus.

Since 2005, Pat has been in sales of premium, custom designed cedar shed, gazebos, back yard studios, cottage bunkies and cabins that are shipped in kit form all over North America. This position is sharpening her sales skills and allows for a more flexible schedule to accommodate her true passion; the vineyard and winery.

Arthur Harder was born in Grimsby, and raised in Vineland Station in the heart of the Niagara viticultural region.

Wine has been a passion from an early age. In 1978 while on a backpack trip in Europe he made it a point to visit the Champagne region in France.

Harder chose a professional road soon after, with a degree in chemistry from Ryerson University (Toronto, ON), and in Oenology and Viticulture at the famed Geisenheim University (Geisenheim, Germany).

In the 20 plus years since, Harder has worked to produce excellent grapes and great wines in both Canada and Germany. He has worked with Barnes Wines (St. Catharines), Inniskillin Wines (Niagara-on-the-Lake), and Hillebrand Estates Winery (Virgil) in Canada, and the Institute for Grape Breeding and Grafting (Geisenheim), Asbach-Kretschmar (Rüdesheim), and the Klostermuehle Winery (Odernheim/Nahe) in Germany.

Now focusing on his roots in Vineland he continues to craft fine wines, which express the quality grapes grown in the Estate vineyards. The wines while approachable in their youth also have the ability to age gracefully for many years.

After an extensive career in Media Sales and Management with the CBC, Larry decided to take on a new challenge as Sales Manager for Calamus Estate Winery. To enhance his already broad knowledge of wine and the wine industry Larry has just completed the "Winery Business Operations" course at Niagara College. Larry co-founded the Noble Rotters Tasting Club in 1989 (still active today) and has been a member of the Ontario Wine Society for over 10 years. He has attended countless industry seminars and tastings and has a unique ability to develop great conntacts at these events.

He consulted on the New World Wine Tour, a 130 episode TV series produced by Forevergreen Productions.

Larry has traveled to most of the world's important wine regions. A story on his recent trip to New Zealand wineries appeared in the 2007 issue Vine's Magazine.

Having an eye for a good investment, Sheila became a partner in Calamus Estate Winery in September, 2007. She will be helping with the the marketing and promotional side of the business. Sheila has made winery visits an intergral part of her travel plans over the last 10 years and has always had a keen interest in the Niagara wine industry.

Sheila has worked in the Human Resources side of her spouse's family business since 1994. She is close to completing the Master Taster Certificate at Niagara College and has an MBA from York University. Sheila is also a member and volunteer Event Planner with the Niagara Chapter of the Ontario Wine Society.

HAs manager/part owner of Glen Elgin Vineyard Management, Phil oversees the operation and maintenance of several vineyards, and uses his experience to ensure the Calamus vineyards are kept and maintained to the highest standards. He works closely with Derek, Larry and Arthur to ensure nothing but the highest quality fruit is grown, to ensure the potential of the grapes is expressed in the quality of the wine.