Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Winery Professionals At Crux Winery
For undergraduate students interested in wine production, a "physically demanding" harvest internship offers valuable hands-on experience, starting in early September. Alternatively, larger wineries provide entry-level business roles in areas such as "compliance, financial management, or sales," which offer a less chaotic path into the industry.
Agriculture, Wine Production, Business, Entry-Level Jobs, Harvest Internship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Brian Callahan
Proprietor and General Manager
Crux Winery
Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo
N/A
History, Art History
Food, Beverages & Alcohol
Sales and Client Management
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. A harvest internship is a great way to gain experience in the production side of winemaking, despite its demanding nature.
2. Entry-level positions on the business side of the wine industry include compliance, financial management, forecasting, data analysis, and sales, offering less chaotic experiences than harvest internships.
3. Larger winery operations tend to offer more entry-level business-side opportunities compared to smaller ones.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
A harvest intern is a great way to get a lot of experience, though it will probably conflict with your school schedule. It's kind of trial by fire.
The harvest usually starts in the fall, depending on your geography and what kind of grapes you're growing. For us, it begins in early September and we pick grapes usually through the end of October. This is a long period of time.
Once the grapes come out of the vineyard, there are several weeks of work that need to happen in the winery during the harvest period. So, it's a very intense, physically demanding, sleep-deprived opportunity. But if you want to be on the production side of wine, you really have to start there.
On the business side, entry opportunities are probably with larger winery operations. These could involve compliance, financial management, forecasting, data analysis, or sales. There are lots of entry-level positions on the business side as well, and they are a little less chaotic than the harvest internship, but there are lots of options.