Vineyard Manager
(Wine Jobs:
Vineyards & Cellars )
Full Time
Duncan, Vancouver Island,
British Columbia
The Blue Grouse Winery was one of the first vineyards on Vancouver Island. It’s tasting room opened in 1992, but its plantings go back to 1983. The winery changed hands in 2012 and has undergone substantial investment since. We are currently focused on a sizeable expansion of our vineyard under the guidance of internationally recognized terroir expert Pedro Parra http://www.pedroparrayfamilia.com/consulting/.
The purpose of our expansion is to take the vineyard from about 8 acres to 16 acres in 2017 and then further expanding it to ~30 acres over the next 5 to 10 years. The purpose of the expansion is to shift our grape production from German crosses (80% of our production including - Bacchus, Ortega, Müller Thurgau, Siegerrebe) to vitis vinifera (20% of our production including - Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris). We will also introduce Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Our plan, under Pedro’s guidance, is to refocus the winery on Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Sparkling wines (80% of production).
The successful candidate will be a hard-working self-starter, with the right personality and skills to lead our vineyard and harvest team into the future. The position will involve all aspects of viticulture from vineyard development to remediation and design. You will be expected to manage the vineyard operation from a best practices perspective including; soil management, soil testing, irrigation, and disease and weed control. You will be required to collect data relevant to the vineyard including; bunch weights, crop load, weather data, and other information deemed beneficial to vine development. In addition, you will work with our management team on annual planning and scheduling requirements, with the associated budget projections for viticulture activities. Grower relations will also form part of your duties, as we develop our line of blended wines (Quill) using grapes sourced from elsewhere on Vancouver Island and the Okanagan Valley. You will be required to confirm practices and quality through sampling during the growing season.
The successful candidate will be responsible for our Environmental Health and Safety initiatives. You will be our contact for BC Work Safe and maintain any necessary records pertaining to the vineyard. You will have, or be willing to take, the Pesticide Applicators test (general) and be proficient in the operation of tractors and forklifts.
Your duties will include:
- Hiring, training and managing crew for hand labour and be involved with hand tasks like pruning, tying, shoot suckering, leaf and fruit thinning and harvesting fruit
- Tractor work and managing of spray program
- Property maintenance including landscaping and minor repair work
- Assisting winery staff as needed particularly during bottling and harvest periods
- Support a sustainable viticulture approach
- General equipment maintenance and scheduling
- Yearly budgets and projections
- Procurement of all necessary vineyard products
The successful candidate will possess the following qualifications (or equivalent):
- A degree or certification in viticulture
- Minimum 3 years previous vineyard experience including managing of labour
- Proficient tractor and equipment skills with a mechanical aptitude
- Physically fit and able to undertake manual labour include long work days outside
- Ability to work independently, as well part of a team
- To be safety aware
- Basic computer skills, with Word and Excel proficiency
This is a full-time position and will require residency in the Cowichan Valley. The position will be filled in January 2017. Compensation package will be designed to match the successful applicants’ experience and skill set.
