Job Abstract

Major Responsibilities/Accountabilities: 

• Harvest – As part of the winemaking team, ensure the highest quality pressing and fermentation operations for sparkling base wines.  Assist in fruit receiving and Scalehouse management as required.  Monitor fermentations through tasting and analysis review.  Support winemaking team with cellar planning and work orders.  Perform grape quality inspections and evaluations.  Organize juice and wine shipments between wineries and communicate with bulk wine trucking companies. Note, listed harvest activities may occur onsite or with third-party wineries.
• Manage and prioritize monthly wine storage analysis and sensory checks for reserve wines.
• Wine Sensory Analysis – Participate in all blending, inventory, and trial tastings. Creation and upkeep of annual Assemblage spreadsheet. Prioritize and set up tastings for quality auditing of wine and necessary fining trials. Determine needs for dosage trials based on disgorging schedule forecast, and coordinate riddling, disgorging and dosage additions with production staff. Scheduling, set-up and break down of dosage trial tastings. Formulate and execute wine fining and addition bench trials. Set-up and break down of winemaking team tastings and preparation of final reporting.  Pull samples from offsite partners as needed.
• Tirage bottling – Ensure any needed offsite wines are received in time for blending. Monitor yeast cultures QC. Assist with daily Tirage line start-up QC as needed. Assist with pre-season line QC checks. Review of secondary fermentation checks to ensure all wines are dry.
• Disgorge bottling – Coordinate dosage trials to ensure production schedules are met. Communicate with co-packers regarding dosage needs and spec sheets as required. Assist team with Finished Goods Audits. Assist with riddling trails as needed. Review of lab and QC analysis to facilitate wine release process.
• Research and Development – Research, set up, perform, and provide reports for winemaking R&D projects. As needed for R&D activities, conduct proper sanitation techniques for cleaning, sanitizing, and storing all winery equipment, as well as for operational set-ups for all routine winery work such as wine transfers, filtrations, and tank preparations.  
• Systems Management – Ensure wine tracking system is accurate and up to date with regard to work orders and traceability.  Assist with creation and maintenance of SOPs and other departmental documentation. Assist team with internal auditing and reporting.

Skills / Qualifications / Experience:

Essential:

• Advanced MS Office skills
• Understanding of the fundamentals of winemaking operations and winemaking technology
• BS in Fermentation Science or Enology or related field and/or 3 years of experience supervising cellar and lab work.
• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.
• Good math and analytical skills
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong multi-tasking and time management skills required.
• Ability to make independent judgments in a high paced environment. Must be prepared for interruptions and changes in job priorities; ability to multitask and work under strict deadlines. Work can be repetitious in nature at times, with a high demand for speed, accuracy, and precision.

Desirable:

• Prior experience with sparkling wines
• Bi-lingual skills a plus

Special Conditions:

• Some out of hours work may be required;
• Travel to co-packer sites as required;
• Current driver’s license.
• Work is performed in a typical field environment with moderate demands for movement and lifting.

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