Assistant Winemaker (Wine Jobs: Vineyards & Cellars )

  The Wine Collective

  Baltimore, Maryland

THE WINE COLLECTIVE
The Wine Collective is an urban winery and a premier producer of wine and vermouth in the Mid-Atlantic with a relentless commitment to quality and sustainability. Through a network of local vineyards, The Wine Collective collaborates with growers within 100 miles of Baltimore to create exceptional, low-intervention dry wines, pet-nats, and Spanish-style vermouths.
POSITION
The Assistant Winemaker will act as an integral part of the winemaking process, coordinating daily with the Director of Winemaking (John Levenberg), General Manager, Tasting Room Manager, cellar staff and harvest interns. This is a full-time position that demands exceptional organizational skills, finely-tuned senses, a strong work ethic, and a real passion for running an exceptional winemaking operation.
LOCATION The position is located in Hampden (Baltimore), MD
Winemaking Responsibilities:
HARVEST
•  During harvest, the Assistant Winemaker will hire, train and manage a team of interns: manage all crush and fermentation activities in the cellar, order and maintain fermentation supplies, write work orders, and document all relevant processes. Vineyard responsibilities may arise, including the scouting of vineyards and vineyard sampling.
•  Manage laboratory, overseeing all laboratory analysis ensuring accurate and timely production of required data.
•  Plan out each day of harvest, delegating and demonstrating tasks to cellar staff/interns.
•  Oversee and document results of experiments.
•  Provide and maintain up-to-date fermentation monitoring spreadsheets.
•  Monitor fermentations by taste and analysis in conjunction with Director of Winemaking.
•  Help oversee safety and QC in conjunction with company policy.
•  Communicate and plan with FOH staff to ensure production does not impede the restaurant’s service.
•  Oversee and train all cellar staff on safe forklift operation.
•  Ensure all required work is completed during harvest and within the required schedule.
•  Receive annual barrel shipment, communicating with suppliers to organize the palletization and shipping of barrels.
•  Manage Vermouth (VERMU) production - ordering necessary supplies to follow recipes and establish new blends.
•  Manage botanical extraction times and perform bench trials to follow flavor development.
•  Work with mobile bottling and canning professionals to ensure product stability and quality.
•  Prep all wines for bottling, including filtration and analysis.
YEAR ROUND
•  Responsible for the ongoing review, maintenance and QC of wines according to Director of Winemaking’s procedures.
•  Maintain up-to-date inventory of all cased goods, bottling and fermentation supplies and basic facility maintenance items.
•  Perform blending and finishing trials with Director of Winemaking and with all clients.
•  Help guide cellar activities during elevage, including monitoring SO2, as well as chemical and microbial stability.
•  Assist Director of Winemaking with vineyard decisions.
•  Create blends in tank and ensure proper fining and stabilization protocols are followed.
•  Prep for bottling dates; communicate with mobile bottling company, suppliers and clients, hire temporary help to facilitate bottling.
•  Identify tasks and projects needing completion during the off-season.
•  Work with our distributor to fulfill orders in a timely manner, communicating with upper management and planning for when inventory gets low.
•  Create history sheets of wines, with tasting notes and recommended pairings; work with marketing team to design new labels.
•  Training and educating FOH staff on new wines and explaining the winemaking process.
•  Logistically organize the winery’s storage space.
•  Use the winery’s production software (Innovint) to track and record all activities in the cellar.
•  Communicate with custom crush clients to assist in transporting and delivery of their wine, occasionally drive to vineyards to load and unload wine/grapes/equipment.
•  Maintain aesthetic organization and sanitation of the entire production facility.
•  Work with the Director of Winemaking to establish production needs for the upcoming vintage, using this information to anticipate supply needs and staffing for harvest.
•  File quarterly TTB production data and provide necessary data to compliance firm for other reports. Send annual production reports to custom crush clients.
•  Excellent verbal, oral and written communication skills.
•  Attention to detail. Well organized and able to manage priorities and workflow.
•  Must be a self-starter and be proactive. Must be a confident decision maker while demonstrating a commitment to excellence in every aspect of production.
•  Ability to work independently, as well as collaborate closely with other members of the winemaking team.
•  Ability to work with all levels of management.
•  Developed sensory evaluations skills, including the ability to detect and discriminate subtle differences in wine, such as acidity, alcohol, flaws, tannins, fruit and wood flavors.
•  Computer proficiency. Experience with Excel, Innovint or comparable management program a plus.
•  Required to lift 50 lbs occasionally. Mobility throughout winery required.
•  Always striving to make a better product and questioning how to improve
•  The Assistant Winemaker is expected to convey the winery’s values and beliefs when asked to participate in public or industry events.
•  The Assistant Winemaker will be asked periodically to conduct tastings and consumer-facing activities.
PREFERRED SKILLS
BS in Enology or Fermentation Science, or combination of related science degree and experience.
•  Management experience and the ability to work well with others.
•  Minimum two years winemaking experience.
•  Handy-man skills, PVC piping, electrical understanding, general can do attitude
SALARY - based on experience

How To Apply

Please apply with a cover letter and CV.

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