Winemaking Apprentice (Wine Jobs: Vineyards & Cellars )

  Midnight Cellars

  Paso Robles, California

Midnight Cellars is small family-owned vineyard and winery operation in the beautiful town of Paso Robles, CA. Midnight produces estate grown wines from the famed Willow Creek district in Paso Robles. We produce about 7,000 cases of wine for Midnight Cellars along with producing wine for custom crush clients, usually about 12,000 total cases. We have a small tight knit bad ass winemaking team. We pride ourselves in our passion for winemaking and our ability to have a great time in process!

Position Summary

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a passion for making high quality wine, who has 1 -3 years of cellar experience and is looking become a part of a dedicated winemaking family. The Apprentice position involves every aspect of winemaking and is a key member of our winemaking team. By the end of harvest, the applicant will ideally be fully proficient in ultra-premium wine production.

This is a full-time position. Weekly schedule is typically Monday through Friday. There will include weekend work and overtime as necessary (especially during harvest). The salary is commensurate with level of experience. Position also includes benefits for full-time employment at Midnight Cellars, which includes health coverage, vacation, and sick pay.

Responsibilities (include but are not limited to)
•  Help maintain daily winery sanitation. A clean winery is a happy winery!
•  Perform cellar work assigned by Assistant Winemaker.
o Transfers, blending, racking, topping, barrel work/maintenance, etc.
•  Perform select lab analysis with aid from Assistant Winemaker.
•  Perform simple equipment maintenance throughout the cellar.
•  Ability to recognize problems and report potential issues to Assistant Winemaker.
•  Ability to fill out work orders, and notice/record details for assigned cellar tasks.

Minimum Qualifications
•  Able to work in the US without visa sponsorship.
•  Able to work hard and independently with a minimum of supervision.
•  Ability and willingness to work various shifts including weekends and overtime.
•  Excellent organizational and communication skills - oral and written.
•  Must be at least 21 years of age.
•  Light-hearted with a positive outlook and flexible.

Preferred Qualifications
•  Previous harvest experience in winery production.
•  Undergraduate degree in Enology and/or Viticulture or related field.
•  Willingness to learn and develop new skills.
•  Operate a forklift safely – stack barrels, move wine pallets, transport bins, etc.
•  Previous laboratory experience - standard wine “wet” chemistry, and the ability to learn new methods.

Working Conditions
Working conditions in certain areas of the winery are cold, warm, wet, slippery and noisy. Involves exposure to loud noises, fumes, near moving mechanical parts and lift truck traffic. Frequent walking, standing, sitting, stooping, kneeling, crouch or crawl, going up and down stairs and ladders. Must be able to move up to 55 lbs. Must have a valid driver's license. Ability to work weekends and overtime.

Location: Paso Robles, California

Job Type: Full time

Equal Opportunity
•  Midnight Cellars is committed to a continuing program of equal employment opportunity. All persons have equal employment opportunities with Midnight Cellars, 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).