Winemaker (Manufacturing)

Job Description

Position Summary

The position of Winemaker is responsible for all day-to-day winemaking activities, ensuring the highest quality, image, and productivity in support of the winery's strategic goals and the wine brands crafted there. This is a position that will work closely with other departments (Lab, Maintenance, Cellar, Vineyards) as well as sister CBI Operations wineries to meet the winemaking needs across multiple brands.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Director of Winemaking:

• Help plan and execute all relevant winemaking production activities

• Attend and participate in all winery tastings providing productive input and discussion

• Monitor cellar activities and work progress to ensure best practices and quality standards are met.

• Create work order requests, and help prioritize activities, and schedule daily, weekly, and monthly work.

• Review bulk wines for suitability as blending components

• Monitor and maintain bulk wines in storage.

• Taste and blend wine lots to achieve appropriate stylistic and cost goals across all tiers.

• Create trial blends and fining trials to evaluate appropriate course of treatment across all tiers.

• Help to manage the logistics of aging, blending, and finishing of wines.

• Ensure appropriate record keeping for legal compliance with Federal and State regulations

• Ensure compliance with TTB regulations related to all winemaking activities.

• Work with outside facilities to coordinate winemaking activities.

• Adhere to safety programs and policies to safeguard personal safety, company property, environmental and team member's safety.

• Evaluate wines for quality and style to create blends that maintain wine style and quality targets.

• Taste fermentation tanks daily during harvest to assess health of fermentation.

• Assess fruit development in vineyard to determine harvest dates and assist with creating the weekly grape picking schedule.

• Track multiple fermentation lots during harvest and direct related winemaking activities.

• May hire, organize, train and manage direct reports.

• May handle public relations including tastings, tours and continual education.

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. Degree in Enology, Fermentation Science, Food Science, (micro) Biology, Chemistry or related field

• 5+ years' experience in winemaking

• Wine sensory knowledge

• In-depth understanding of major aspects of Cellar, Lab, Bottling and Vineyard Operations, including impact of results

• Intermediate knowledge of winemaking techniques and best viticultural practices

• Thorough knowledge of local, state and federal government regulations, specifically TTB and state regulations on alcoholic beverage production, distribution and packaging

• Computer proficient in Excel (intermediate to advanced), Access, Word and PowerPoint

• Good organizational, planning, and presentation skills

• Clear commitment to high quality and attention to details

• Able to work independently with minimum supervision

Preferred Qualifications

• 1+ year of supervisory experience

• Able to organoleptically evaluate wines and spirits

• Wine Management Data Base, JDE, AgCode system experience, and Vintrace winery software

• Spanish proficiency.

Physical Requirements/Other

• Must be at least 21 years of age. Must be able to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time.  Work on a computer for lengthy periods of time. Lifting may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work Environment:

  • Works outdoors/indoors

  • Works in warm/cold climates

  • Works in high places

  • Works on wet surfaces

  • Is exposed to loud noise, fumes, and/or toxic chemicals

  • Works near moving, mechanical parts and lift truck traffic

  • Must be able to move up to 55 lbs.        

  • Primary office environment may be warehouse distribution setting

Location

Soledad, California

Additional Locations

Job Type

Full time

Job Area

Viticulture & Winemaking

Equal Opportunity

Constellation Brands is committed to a continuing program of equal employment opportunity. All persons have equal employment opportunities with Constellation Brands, regardless of their sex, race, color, age, religion, creed, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), marital status, gender (including gender identity or gender expression), familial status, military or veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related conditions (or any other group or category within the framework of the applicable discrimination laws and regulations).