Job Description
Job Description:
SUMMARY
The Associate Winemaker is the coordinating, metrics, and accountability extension of the Director of Winemaking & Operations. Acts as the winemaking point of contact when the Director of Winemaking is unavailable or off-site. Responsible for leading daily and weekly team meetings and accountability for wine production activities from harvest through bottling for multiple vintages and teams. Responsibilities span a 250,000-case winery, a 35,000-case Reserve program, and virtual oversight of 2 additional winemaking facilities. Manage “fit for purpose” (SRPs $13-$300) winemaking adhering to existing wine programs consistent with our brand strategy, best practices, and Industry standards. Must be a veteran of active change management and performance documentation with the ability to de-escalate, pivot, simplify, and resolve conflict/challenges in real time. Experience must demonstrate a balance of small-scale & large-scale winemaking, management, and training of cellar teams. Has the patience, flexibility, & intuition required to be a leading member of a high-performing LEAN production team.
PERKS:
• A Family Owned Winery – 9th Generation – A financially stable, proven, and diversified company
• Recent investment CAPEX $2.1 million: Pellenc sorting system including optical sorter, etc
• Be part of a team making wines scoring from 90-99 points in recognized wine publications.
• Work with pedigree Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Clarksburg, Paso, and Lodi fruit
• Work half days on Fridays and every Saturday off (year-round, includes harvest)
• Eligible for an annual harvest bonus
• Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401 (k) are offered; robust paid holiday schedule
• Dinners provided nightly during harvest
• The winery is located in Ventura County, minutes from the coast.
WINEMAKING ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
• Historical harvest duration for our winery: Mid-August to Late November, weather-dependent.
• Facilitate winemaking plans as per your direct supervisor, with the ability to successfully troubleshoot in the absence of direct winemaking supervision.
• Write detailed, strategic work orders (50%) to keep production moving and minimize downtime.
• Meet bottling deadlines: Work independently using the bottling visibility calendar to bottle prep all varieties and wine styles per the winemaking fingerprint. Includes stability, filtration, etc.
• Intermediate knowledge of Innvoint wine tracking software.
• Update and ensure SOPs and protocols are being adhered to
• Manage fermentation decisions to ensure optimal wine quality to prevent stuck fermentations
• Ability to interpret all lab analysis and implement a plan for problem lots with follow-through.
• Taste with intention-all stages: daily/weekly with or in the absence of your direct supervisor.
• Advanced Palate: Accurately taste blind (multiple regions and varieties); can detect wine faults.
• Facilitate and reconcile monthly, quarterly, and annual inventory and reconciliation.
• Complete wine tech sheets and maintain wine records and marketing tasting notes.
• Monitor & update plans, make changes as they occur, & communicate any changes to the team.
• Intermediate TTB wine compliance is required in real time
• Virtual oversight and management of bulk & dry goods inventory & staff for two offsite facilities
• Attention to detail: Special project implementation, management, and follow-up: As needed
• Purchasing: As needed
• Other winemaking duties as assigned
JOB REQUIREMENTS
• 15+ years of relevant winemaking experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Fermentation Science/Enology or related science and agricultural degree
• You will be one of a five-person winemaking team: Enologist – Assistant Winemaker – Cellar Master - Associate Winemaker – Director of Winemaking.
• Strong intuitive and observational winemaking skills
• Experience with both the practical and technical aspects of the winemaking process and cellar
• Technical machinery & equipment operations experience
• Manage, review/document, and hold multiple direct reports accountable, coordinating with HR.
• Detail-oriented and the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute addition rates, ratios, and percentages and to construct and interpret bar graphs and fermentation curves.
• Intermediate Microsoft Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Outlook experience
• Understand budgeting computer skills, including spreadsheets, word processing, and databases.
• Plan retention: detailed note-taking & recollection of past/present successes & challenges.
• English language written and oral skills (CEFR level B2-C1 minimum)
• Spanish-speaking is a plus, but not required.
• Have a safety-first approach to daily winemaking and cellar activities.
• Must be consistently punctual, dependable, and work various shifts and overtime as needed.
• Collaboration across the Oxnard facility and all departments, winemaking or otherwise.
• Problem-solving: Intermediate skills & ability to apply common sense and reasoning skills
• Best practices social skills interacting with internal/external stakeholders, including the public.
• An overall commitment to create a positive workplace environment
• Out of scope for this position: Vineyard visits and market/sales travel will not be required.
KOSHER WINERY: We are a Kosher for Passover winery. It is our responsibility to deliver Kosher wines of the same or higher quality as the non-Kosher benchmark segment. We are also new to sales/placements in the Premium/Luxury tier non-Kosher wine segment, opening everyone’s eyes to the new face of Kosher quality. As an Associate Winemaker, you are not required to be sabbath observant. We welcome all applicants, as we are a diverse and integrated winemaking team.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: as listed in the official Job Description
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Job Tags
Full time, Shift work, Night shift