Wine Connoisseur

Vineyard Accountants

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:41:35 +0000

Let’s face it, even if you are a math geek, crunching numbers can get a little boring. One of the more rewarding accounting jobs is working for a winery. As a vineyard account, a person will work directly with the winery’s finance controller to perform the more technical duties of the job. Accounting jobs can be boring, but working for a winery will add a little bit of fun to the job, especially if you are the type of person who loves working with numbers.

Education Requirements

The basic requirements for a person wishing to become an accountant for a winery includes a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, at least three years of experience in the field of accounting, and knowledge of working with Excel, Microsoft Word. Most vineyards prefer their accountants to be CPA or SAP. Of course, a person who is a quality accountant will have extreme attention to detail, strong communication skills, project management skills, and the ability to work with confidential information.

Job Details

As an accountant for a winery a person can expect to budget and plan for the winery, reporting to the finance controller. Analyzing department expenses and monthly general ledger processing will also be part of the job description. Managing others within the department will be part of the job as well. Taking over financial projects as needed will also be necessary for a person in this position.

Job Salary

As an accountant for a winery, the average salary is around $40,000 per year. However, this is a great way to gain the experience needed in order to eventually become a financial controller for a winery. Financial controllers have an average salary of around $100,000 per year, so it is worth putting in your time as an accountant in order to gain an advanced position within the finance department of the winery.

Working as an accountant can be a long and boring process, but working in a winery setting can add a little fun to the job. The winery accountant position is a great way to start your career in the financial aspect of the winery business. If you work hard, it will be possible to become the financial controller for the winery once you get a few years of experience under your belt.

Tasting Room Manager at a Winery

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:20:42 +0000

If you are a social butterfly and enjoy the company of others, working in the hospitality field will be right up your alley. In the wine industry, a tasting room manager will discuss the product with potential consumers. In order to succeed as a tasting room manager a person must have a likable personality as well as being a firm leader. This position can be very stressful, especially during the holiday season when the room gets busy.

Education Requirements

There are varying levels of education that a winery will require of their tasting room manager. Most wineries prefer that the person have a bachelor’s degree in business or another related field. Some wineries prefer a person have a number of years of experience in the industry and will overlook the education requirement if this is the case. A person who wishes to be a tasting room manager must above all else have wonderful customer service skills and an extensive knowledge of wine. Strong computer skills and leadership capabilities are also necessary for this position.

Job Description

A tasting room manager will be responsible for setting the goals of the tasting room. Hiring and training your staff are a large part of the position. Training becomes essential as these people will be carrying out the tasks that you hand out and you will expect them to do them well. Your staff is a reflection of you and it is important that they all know their jobs well. Dealing with the public is the key aspect of this job and customer service skills are necessary. A tasting room manager will also lead tours throughout the winery.

Job Salary

As a wine tasting manager, a person can expect a salary of around $50,000 per year. This amount will depend largely on the size and location of the tasting room that the person is in charge of. Managing a tasting room is not an entry-level position and most people start out working as a tasting room associate. The salary for a tasting room associate is around $24,000 to $30,000, but there usually are bonus structures that can greatly boost this wage.

One of the most rewarding jobs in the wine industry is being a tasting room manager. As a tasting room manager, a person will work directly with the public in order to boost the sales of the wine. The position will require a person to be extremely likable, yet also have strong leadership capabilities.

Managing a Vineyard

admin — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:17:04 +0000

Are you a person who loves wine and loves to be outside? If so, the perfect job in the wine industry for you will be the position of vineyard manager. As the vineyard manager, a person will be in charge of the grape growing process. Growing perfect wine grapes is not an easy task and as the vineyard manager, it will be your responsibility to make sure everything in the growing process is being done correctly.

Education

A vineyard manager position is not an entry-level position by any means. Becoming a manager of a vineyard will take a lot of hard work and experience in the field of viticulture. In order to become a vineyard manager a person will need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in viticulture or a related area of study. Formal training in viticulture management will be necessary as well. Most wineries will only hire an individual who has five to ten years of experience working in a vineyard. Communication and leadership skills are also necessary for this position as well.

Job Description

The vineyard manager will oversee a group of employees who will work directly in the vineyard making sure the grapes are growing properly. As the vineyard manager a person can expect to train all of the employees, who will be helping in the vineyard as well as creating a business plan for the year. Maintaining a budget as set by the vineyard is an extremely important aspect of this position as well. Monitoring the grapes at every stage of development is also a large responsibility that the vineyard manager undertakes. A diligent record of the health of the grapes and vine performance is essential to this job.

Salary Range

Working as a vineyard manager entails a lot of hard work. A person will be in direct contact with the winemaker as well as all of the other employees of the winery. The salary of a vineyard manager will vary by region, but the national average salary is around $80,000 per year.

A love of the outdoors and an understanding of how grapes grow is necessary to become a great vineyard manager. Managing a vineyard can be one of the most rewarding jobs in the wine industry as you will be directly responsible for making sure the crops for each batch of wine are perfected.

Do you have what it Takes to be a Sommelier?

admin — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:41:59 +0000

Are your friends constantly asking you what kind of wine they should choose? Do you love the taste of wine and know exactly what types of wines go with which foods? Is your living room filled with the latest wine magazines? If this sounds like you, perhaps working as a professional sommelier is something you should be considering.

A sommelier is a person at a restaurant who helps the patrons choose the wines that will complement their meal. As a sommelier you will also provide the proper stemware, open, decant, and serve the wine to the patrons of the restaurant. This job will also require an individual to work with the chef to help match the food with wine.

Most of the time a sommelier of a restaurant will also be in charge of taking inventory of the wine on hand, updating the wine lists, and training the restaurant wait staff as to which wines should be suggested.

Sommelier Positions

As a sommelier, there are a number of choices for employment. Of course, fine dining establishments are some of the top choices of where to work. However, sommeliers are also found working in hotels, resorts, casinos, country clubs, cruise ships, and other areas of the hospitality industry. Some sommeliers choose to be teachers and will conduct seminars and classes on the art of choosing the right wine.

On the Job

If you are choosing to become a sommelier, expect to work most nights and weekends, as it is required by most restaurants and other industries. Typically, a sommelier will come in to work during the afternoon to check the cellar, order stock, and prepare for events. The day may not end until 1 or 2 am. A person will need to be able to stand for long periods of time and able to move large cases of wine and equipment. Of course, a person will need to be 21 to be considered for this position in the United States.

Becoming a Sommelier

In order to become a sommelier a person will have to study wine extensively. Developing your palate will require hours of study. This can be done in several fun ways such as visiting wineries and holding wine dinners. There are also seminars that can be attended in order to learn the trade. Several schools offer training in this profession.

The salary of a sommelier will vary and there is no direct source that will give the average. This is mainly because anyone working in a restaurant that is in charge of wine service can be titled sommelier. The Master Sommelier designation is one of the most well know credentials of this field, with fewer than 200 people obtaining this title. Those who have obtained this title have salaries of over $160,000.

Becoming a Viticulturist

admin — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:21:34 +0000

Running a winery well takes a team of people. One of the behind the scenes jobs that not a lot of people may know about is the viticulturist. The viticulturist works directly with the vineyard manager to manage the more technical aspects of the grape growing process. This position will require an individual to attend college and gain experience in the science of growing quality grapes.

Educational Requirements

There are a few requirements a person must meet in order to become a viticulturist at a vineyard. A bachelor’s degree in viticulture or a related field will be required for this position. Management skills, strong communication skills, and leadership skills will all be necessary in this position as well. Most wineries will look for a person who has at least five years of experience in grape growing.

Job Description

Some of the duties and responsibilities for a viticulturist include the weekly monitoring of grapes; this includes the health and water status of the vines. Monitoring for diseases and pests, nutritional and fertilization of the vines will also be part of the job. The viticulturist must be able to give estimations of what the crop output will be. In addition, the viticulturist will be in charge of managing the seasonal help and field crews. It will be their job to make sure the crops are producing at their fullest potential at all times.

Job Salary

The position of viticulturist is not an entry-level position. A person looking for a job in this area will have to have the education and years of experience behind them in order to gain a position at a winery. This position is important to the winery, but the pay scale is on the low end of winery positions with the average starting salary at around $35,000 to $40,000 per year.

The science of growing grapes is fascinating and there is a lot involved in the process. A person who has an interest in outdoor work along with the knowledge of how things grow could become very successful as a viticulturist. This is a position that is vital to the wine making industry as the whole process all comes back to the grapes.