Winemaker (Wine Jobs: Vineyards & Cellars )

  Quai du Vin Winery (http://www.quaiduvin.com)

  St. Thomas (Sparta), Ontario

 

Winemaker

Permanent Full-time position

Quai Du Vin Estate Winery is a boutique winery, surrounded by picturesque grounds & operating inside a charming, vintage-style facility in Sparta, Ontario along Lake Erie’s pastoral North Shore. 

We are looking to hire a solid, dependable individual as our Winemaker to join our seasoned team to ensure that our wine is flowing, our brand is growing & our customers remain as pleased as always!  The successful candidate’s job will be varied, and no two days will be the same!

Reporting to the General Manager this position is a full-time permanent role where you will be leading a dynamic winemaking team.  The Winemaker will be expected to maintain and grow the current portfolio to the highest possible standards. This will be a rewarding position, ideal for a hands-on winemaker with the ability to lead and work with a small team of passionate wine professionals.

What You Can Expect:

• Dedicated to crafting quality wines, providing value to our customers, and continuing to improve
• Supervise in grape receiving, crushing, and pressing and wine production operations during harvest
• Supervises Assistant Winemakers and / or other staff (if assigned)
• Participate in wine tasting at all stages throughout the winemaking process and responsible for conducting evaluation and recommendation of treatments
• Write process orders for all production related tasks from harvest to bottling
• Responsible for supervising, training, and mentoring all cellar employees during harvest, as assigned
• Conduct and manage experiments, including reporting the results, in relation to wine quality
• Work as a team with all staff on all blends to ensure wine profiles are being adequately filled and bottling requirements are met on time
• Responsible for adhering to Provincial and Federal regulations
• Perform Cellar tasks such as cleaning & sanitizing equipment, apply good housekeeping practices, perform wine movements, top barrels, operate less complex equipment, measure and calculate workplace data
• Operate moderately complex winery equipment
• Capable of double-checking calculation to maintain integrity and quality of wines
• Ensures safe and efficient utilization of all winery equipment
• Assist in leading harvest employees to achieve daily, weekly, and monthly work tasks
• Provides guidance and support to staff to increase skill and knowledge
• Provide feedback to staff on best practices
• Ability to troubleshoot and problem solve cellar issues
• Ensures timely and accurate completion of all wine work orders
• Will conduct educational tastings and tours of the facility, when needed
• Contributes to the continuous improvement of the winemaking process and procedures
• Manages and directs production processes to maximize production capacity and efficiency without compromising adherence to the highest standards of safety, quality, regulatory compliance, and the Company's vision.
• Assures effective communication among all staff and the owners of the Winery.
• Responsible for compliance with sustainability policies and practices which are economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound.
• Follow safe operating procedures, support safety programs and policies to safeguard personal safety, company property, environmental and team member’s safety

Production

• Manages all aspects of preparing wines for bottling.
• Have working knowledge of Quai Du Vin procedures such as crushing, fermenting, pressing, wine movements, topping, barrel work, filtration, sterilization of equipment, bottling, etc.
• Work with the owners to ensure the bottling schedule is achievable and wines are ready on time.
• Manage fermentation tanks as needed.

Administrative

• Strong interpersonal skills to develop relationships with our supply and service vendors and interdepartmental teams.
• Manage bulk shipping and receiving schedules.
• Ensure wines are stable and approved for bottling with the correct state of the process established.
• Maintain accurate production and manufacturing records.

You Will:

• Develop and maintain year over year plans for winemaking, blending, and bottling operations for all wine programs including red, white, dessert, and sparkling.
• Activate and monitor fermentation for sparkling program.
• This person will successfully execute projects which create operational efficiencies, improve revenue and/or improve quality
• Craft wine styles for new brands requested by sales
• Guide process optimization by leveraging winemaking expertise, research, and technological expertise
• Deliver on strategies to solve business issues/needs
• Identify opportunities to improve winemaking procedures through written SOPs, Forms, Templates, etc.
• Ensure that all daily and weekly wine activities such as bulk wine work orders, daily checks, and partial tank clean up are being performed.
• Work across departments such as the cellar, bottling, and sales
• Develop and understand priorities for winemaking operations in an ever-changing production environment.
• Plan and execute vintage change.
• Coordinate pre-bottling winemaking and wine blending activities to ensure that wine is prepared on time and on budget.
• Maintain records of wine blending operations.
• Maintain up to the moment inventories of bulk wine.
• Quality assurance and quality control of bulk wine and intake and processing
• Review complete chemical profile analysis of all wine and juice entering winery, whether as bulk wine, grape juice
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

·         Winemaking or related degree

·         1 – 3 years of Winery/Cellar/Vineyard experience is a must

·         Forklift and tractor experience a plus

·         Ability to lift 55 lbs

• Experience working with Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and/or Ontario Wine Application Authority (VQA) is an asset
• Familiarity with ACGO marketing rules and guidelines for wine sales is an asset

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to problem solve and troubleshoot to avoid issue escalation.
• Ability to work independently and to complete tasks promptly.
• Must have knowledge and experience with multiple varietals.
• Have outstanding knowledge of winemaking techniques and processes.
• Strong sense of urgency to meet winemaking and production deadlines.
• Knowledge of production costing methods.
• Must be able to manage a high paced production environment.
• Must have outstanding wine blending skills.
• Must possess a complete understanding of the wine manufacturing and wine production process.
• Must be able to skillfully operate all basic Cellar equipment
• Must be able to work various shifts and overtime as needed
• Must be able to operate machinery
• Must know how to use hand tools
• Good organizational and multi-task skills
• Computer skills
• Must be flexible with scheduling and changing tasks due to business needs
• Must be at least 21 years of age

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook
• Two years of forklift experience

LICENSES AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS

• Valid Driver’s License and insurance.
• Smart Serve.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

·         Demonstrates honest character, positive attitude, and enthusiasm, is approachable, welcoming, and genuine in order to make guests feel welcome.

·         Have a passion and interest in continuing to learn about wines and quickly comes up to speed and showcases proficiency in Quai du Vin wine & vineyard knowledge.

·         Ability and experience in successfully leading, mentoring and coordinating staff

·         Ability to develop and maintain effective operating and control processes designed to attain maximum operating efficiency while ensuring adherence to established operating criteria.

·         Computer skills – computer skills required for cash register operation and report maintenance and tracking including High level of Excel knowledge.

·         Must be able to communicate effectively with consumers, trade, employees, management and partner/vendors.

·         Must be able to effectively lead tastings and speak to groups of consumers, answer questions and respond in a professional manner.

·         Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple tasks.

·         Professionalism in appearance/demeanor.

·         Must be at least 21 years of age.

 

 

 

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