Overview

    This role will assist the Winemaker with all cellar duties, including hands-on tasks related to production including sanitation, organizational tasks, record keeping, and compliance duties that are required for growing and sourcing premium Ontario grapes and making ultra-premium VQA wines.  The Assistant/Associate Winemaker will be the liaison between the cellar staff and the Winemaker.  Under the guidance of the Winemaker, this position will be responsible for creating and distributing cellar work orders to the crew and ensuring that work is completed to the standards set and defined by the Winemaker.  As Quality Assurance is a very important aspect of our wines, the Assistant/Associate will be responsible for all aspects of the lab and VQA/AGCO compliance.  This includes performing analysis on samples, maintaining equipment, replenishing chemicals, standardization, and keeping a lab log. 

    This role is also responsible for the management of our finished goods warehouse (inputs, outputs, organization and monthly counts). They will be required to assist the Winemaker with the VQA submission process, coordinate shipping of goods and bulk wines, and with ordering and/or packaging (labels, bottles, VQA submissions and closures). During busy periods (harvest bottling, barrel blending) the Assistant/Associate Winemaker will be available to assist the cellar crew and will be a secondary contact (other than the Winemaker) when it comes to maintaining and operating the crush equipment.

Role and Responsibilities

• Be able to complete all necessary cellar operations, including but not limited to Fruit Receival, Pressing, Processing, Sorting, Racking, Blending, Transfers, Filtration and all cellar sanitation tasks.
• Managing Bulk Inventory records, Harvest record keeping (ie: eGrape, VQA Brix), Bottling records and packaged goods inventory until transfer to Retail/Sales.
• Under guidance and direction of the Winemaker, they will generate work orders and distribute to staff.
• Completed work orders, bottling reports, and harvest slips will be recorded and catalogued by the Assistant with direction from the Winemaker. It is important that these records are maintained, organized and meet all AGCO/LCBO and VQA standards.
• Responsible for all aspects of the wine lab (standardization, maintenance, execution of tests).Wine and laboratory samples are performed as requested by the Winemaker.
• Be a secondary support for the cellar crew to ensure tasks are clear, and that they can always provide a helping hand in all tasks (i.e Conducts pump overs and punch downs, filtration, racking, inoculations and additions)
• Assists Winemaker in scouting/sampling at harvest.
• Will prepare samples and bench trials for the Winemaker as requested.
• Carries out all duties according to health and safety regulations while maintaining a clean and safe work environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

•         Available to work daytime, evenings, weekdays, weekends and holidays as required.
•         Must be available to work long hours, including overtime as required during the busy seasons.