Enologist (Wine Jobs: Vineyards & Cellars )

  Stone Tower Winery

  Leesburg, Virginia

Background– Situated on 460 acres of property atop Hogback Mountain in Leesburg, VA, Stone Tower Winery is a family -owned and -operated vineyard and winery dedicated to making premium estate-driven wines and creating memorable wine experiences that both inspire and enhance the lives of the people and community we serve. Stone Tower Winery is actively seeking a motivated, focused and enthusiastic individual to join our production team as an Enologist. This position offers the unique opportunity to assist in the further development of our already robust estate vineyard and winemaking operations, as additional plantings and a new winemaking facility are underway.

Job responsibilities:
- Assist winemaker in helping to manage, undertake and record pre-harvest vineyard sampling, harvest operations, wine ingredient additions, yeast inoculations, fermentation, analyzing, blending, filtering, barrel topping, lab-analysis, and bottling activities.
- Assist and support winemaker with all production and QC analysis for accuracy and potential wine quality issues.
- Oversee and administer all laboratory analysis and operations; order and maintain all lab supplies and equipment; maintaining a clean and orderly laboratory space; sending samples to outside labs as needed.
- Prepare reagents, standards, and solutions. Perform juice or wine analysis in a timely fashion, which includes but not limited to pH, TA, VA, ALC, DO, Glu/Fru, FSO2, TSO2, color index, L- Malic, YAN, heat / cold stability.
- Set up various wine bench trials as requested by winemaker.
- Perform detailed record keeping including: all lab results, wine database system (Vintrace), quarterly TTB reporting, SDS of all winery chemicals, OSHA & all other legal compliance requirements.
- Assist with all harvest operations including receiving and processing fruit, performing yeast inoculation, nutrient additions, fermentation monitoring, sample collection, and any other tasks as assigned.
- Ensure Bottling QC: tank preparation according to winemaker’s specification, packaging evaluation, fill heights, cork moisture, vacuum test, DO.
- Help ensure that all staff complies with relevant safety requirements and to help comply with OSHA regulatory requirements. Assist winemaker in the development of a safety plan and policy to address daily work activities, training of part-time winery workers and visitors to the winery.
- Direct, supervise, and assist production staff in performing sampling, additions, inoculations, and any other production and cellar work tasks as necessary.
- Participate in the interviewing and hiring of temporary supplemental production staff during the peak production season, the supervising and directing their work.
- Participate in winemaking-related marketing and promotional events, as requested.
- Develop and maintain relationships within all departments by engaging with colleagues with respect and teamwork.
- Promote a work environment that exudes positivity, teamwork, and gratefulness for all by providing staff with positive feedback, mentorship, and leadership.


Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biology, Agriculture, Enology, or related sciences
- 2+ years of hands-on laboratory experience
- Strong computer skills: proficient with databases (experience with Vintrace a plus), spreadsheets (Excel), and word processing
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task

Additional Requirements:
- Must be comfortable and certified to operate a forklift and pallet-jack. (Employer will provide for initial and subsequent forklift certifications every 3 years).
- Ability to lift and move 50 pounds, repetitively.
- Able and willing to climb and utilize stairs, catwalks and ladders safely.
- Able to perform basic math
- Able to smell and taste wine and other fermented products