Enologist (Wine Jobs: Vineyards & Cellars )

  Dehlinger Winery

  Sebastopol, California

Dehlinger is a small (7000 case) Russian River Valley producer of Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Cabernet, and Syrah owned and operated by the Dehlinger family. We have a 45-year tradition of meticulous craftsmanship of wines grown on our 80 acre vineyard surrounding our winemaking facility.

We invite a qualified and dedicated individual to join us in the pursuit of winemaking excellence in the role of Enologist. This is an opportunity for a winemaking professional to gain experience working closely with small lots of handcrafted wines in a quality-oriented environment and with a focused team.

The Enologist will provide support to the winemaking and winegrowing team through the completion of laboratory management (50%), cellar operations (45%), and vineyard monitoring (5%).

We seek a staff member who will be equally comfortable managing the laboratory and monitoring wines as they will be participating in cellar work. The Enologist must be prepared to both personally carry out lab and cellar work as well as to supervise a seasonal lab technician.

Key Duties of the Enologist are to:
•  Conduct lab analyses on wines through all stages of production and communicate results to winemaking team.
•  Organize tasting trials and contribute to tasting and blending sessions.
•  Manage laboratory: Organize lab data; Maintain lab equipment; Ensure reliability of lab results through systems of lab controls and validations; Inventory and order laboratory supplies; Train season lab technician.
•  Complete cellar work: Sample; Top; Add SO2; Rack; Bottle; Clean.
•  Be a key member of the harvest team and participate in all aspects of grape processing and fermentation management.
•  In conjunction with vineyard team, collect and organize data related to: Bloom monitoring; Petiole sampling; Crop estimates; Fruit maturity sampling.
•  Participate in occasional promotional activities, including staffing two annual Open House weekends and periodic promotional tastings.

The Enologist is expected to fulfill their role with a high level of skill and professionalism and to contribute to the overall positive energy of our work environment. Strong interest in the wines of Sonoma County is a must.

The Enologist must have the ability to work a variable schedule with extended hours during harvest. They must be able to perform strenuous physical tasks, such as bending, lifting up to 50 pounds on occasion and climbing ladders. Applicants must be able to work with SO2, and when doing so must be able to work with a properly fitting respirator. An insurable DMV record and US driver’s license is required and will be verified by our insurance company. As we expect full professional dedication to Dehlinger from our Enologist, potential applicants with their own label/brand/similar projects are asked not to apply.

Qualifications: Minimum 1-3 years in a production environment. Preference for degree in Enology and Viticulture. Full competence in lab and cellar work. Candidates who will live in close proximity to our facility near Graton are preferred.

Compensation: This is a salaried, overtime exempt position with company benefits. Compensation depends on experience and qualifications. Please provide salary expectations in your application.

Ideal start time: January 2020