There are many stages required in the process of taking wine from winery to cellar door or retailer, all of which allow employees to combine their passion for wine with their career. From winery manager and winemaker, through to jobs in logistics, sales and operations, there’s a position that’s likely to appeal to anyone. Alongside their diversity, these job opportunities also carry with them numerous benefits, such as interacting with happy customers, being outdoors, working in beautiful wine regions and opportunities for travel.

Here are six job opportunities in the win industry that you may not have ever considered, but will now.

Winemaker

Also known as a Vinter, this is perhaps what people first think of when they consider jobs in the wine industry. In Australia you will typically need a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology, which teaches best-practise techniques for growing wine grapes and making wine.

A winemaker is one of the more lucrative jobs within the wine industry and can therefore be slightly more difficult to enter into, however the salary benefits and ability to work with your passion each day can make it exceptionally fulfilling.

There are many different paths in this career: You can work full-time for a single winery, or else provide your services seasonally to different wineries, also giving you the opportunity to travel.

Cellar Hand

A cellar hand predominantly works to support the winemaker in the production of wine. They play an integral part in the day-to-day operations of a winery and perform a wide range of tasks, including crushing and processing fruit, managing the fermentation process, making additions to wine, setting up equipment and transferring wines.

This is a role that requires a fair bit of manual labour, so is good for those who enjoy being on their feet rather than behind a desk all day. It is also a good stepping stone for those with aspirations of becoming a winemaker, as they learn the skills that are directly involved in the process of making the wine.

Cellar door staff

Do you love tasting wine and talking about it? Then working as a tasting room employee may present the perfect job opportunity for you.

Many wineries across the country will have tasting rooms, otherwise known as cellar doors, located on their premises that give customers a chance to taste wines before purchase. Positions range from entry-level to manager, with employees required to have a good understanding of wine, the wine making process and skills in educating others about wine. Furthermore, they act as the face of the winery and therefore need to be a gracious host, creating a fun and comfortable environment for customers.

Winery warehouse manager

For those with a keen interest in wine and the process of winemaking but have more experience in trades and operations, a role as a winery warehouse manager could be ideal.

While most people typically see the front of house component of the wine industry – the wineries and cellar doors – most of the winemaking process occurs behind the scenes in a winery’s warehouses. Managing these will require overseeing daily activities such as the receiving, handling, storing, picking, and packing, ensuring quality and safety standards are met at every turn.

Sales and marketing

While winemakers love the process of making wine, they may know little about actually marketing the product to their target audience, seeing many hire a team to do this for them. Roles in wine sales and marketing are relatively accessible, with knowledge of marketing and communications generally required. Experience in other areas are also applicable, making this job a good transition for those hoping to move from an unrelated industry into the wine world.

There are job opportunities for wine marketing in private PR companies or else by direct employment through a winery. Large wine estates will often have an in-house marketing team that works with communicating and advertising to the beverage and hospitality industry, press and consumers.

Winery manager

A winery manager, as the name suggests, is responsible for the operations of the vineyard, which covers a very broad range of responsibilities, making it ideal for those with excellent multi-tasking and organisational skills. A winery manager will perform tasks such as supervising employees, staff training and onboarding, and budget monitoring.

On top of these more managerial duties, they would also be involved with viticulture activities, such as monitoring the health of the grapes, recommending best practices for viticulture and maintaining records for the vine performance.

Whether you are looking to move into the wine industry, or else searching for a new role, our experienced consultants can help find the right position for you. Search our job opportunities or contact us today.