Vineyard Operator

Working Schedule

• Vineyard Operators work at least full-time, with overtime needed depending on various factors. If a vineyard has an on-site winery, there may be weekend or evening events to work. The job may entail some heavy lifting, lots of standing, bending down, or kneeling to examine vines. Expect exposure to various climate conditions, including heat, humidity, dampness, rain, and storms. Vineyard Operators face the risk of exposure to various chemicals and loud noises from equipment.

Typical Duties

• Manage all viticultural activities to ensure healthy grapevines
• Manage and oversee the safe application of various pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides
• Ensure proper irrigation systems are installed and operating per an optimal watering schedule 
• Oversee cultivation processes, including planting, pruning, and canopy management
• Coordinate erosion control activities and frost protection measures
• Direct trellis and fence installation, maintenance, and repair work
• Plan and coordinate harvesting season activities 
• Collaborate with winemakers and ensure product quality and quantity goals are met
• Ensure proper inventory of tools and equipment
• Manage budgets, project estimated expenditures, and authorize purchases
• Meet with department heads to discuss goals and issues
• If not the owner, provides the owner with routine updates and reports
• Comply with local, state, federal, and international regulations, as applicable 
• Assist with hiring and managing workers; posts work schedules

Additional Responsibilities

• Organize or assist with hosted events and tours, including marketing efforts
• Conduct employee evaluations. Offer and listen to feedback
• Create company policies and training programs 
• Implement worker safety procedures in accordance with OSHA and other relevant standards
• Engage in quality assurance inspections 
• Maintain records and documentation

Soft Skills

• Analytical
• Budget-conscious 
• Coordinating and instructing skills 
• Detail-oriented
• Leadership and management skills
• Objectivity 
• Organizational skills
• Patience
• Practicality 
• Quality assurance mindset
• Resourcefulness
• Sound judgment and decision-making
• Strong communication skills, including active listening and negotiation

Technical Skills

• Basic knowledge of accounting, bookkeeping, records management, and office applications such as Microsoft Suite 
• Deep knowledge of grape varieties and appreciation for winemaking and the wine industry
• Familiarity with common heavy machinery and equipment used in vineyards
• Familiarity with soil characteristics such as pH, erosion control, and frost protection measures
• Knowledge of grafting and pruning techniques
• Knowledge of disease and pest management
• Knowledge of human resources, worker rights, and applicable safety standards and regulations 
• Knowledge of irrigation systems, canopies, and grape cultivation and harvesting processes
• Knowledge of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides (and their safe application)
• Understanding of horticulture, viticulture, and enology (aka oenology)
• Understanding of International Organization for Standardization winemaking process guidelines

• Vineyards and wineries

Vineyard Owners must think long term, as well as in seasons. The work they do (or fail to do properly) in one season will impact what happens in the following seasons. And as vineyard expert Manuel Iribarnegaray López explains, “The grape and the wine are totally linked. What you do in the vineyard today is what you are going to delight in the wine in five, seven, or 10 years.”

Cultivating grapevines requires a hands-on approach, meaning operators and managers have to get out from behind their desks, get outside, and get their hands dirty. To stay in tune with the processes, they must stay in touch with the soil itself. They must truly have an interest in and passion for producing the finest quality of grapes possible for their end clients, or in some cases, for their own wineries. As they say, growing grapes into wine is both “an art and science!” 

Wine is a half-trillion-dollar industry and there is no shortage of competition. There are 7,475 wineries in the US alone and some 65,000 wine producers worldwide! With that much selection, it’s vital to find ways for producers to draw distinctions between their brand and others. 

Wine enthusiasts are notoriously selective, however, there are millions of “casual” wine drinkers to cater to, as well. Many brands focus on pricing, while top labels focus on subtleties that only true connoisseurs can appreciate. Organic, indigenous, and hybrid varieties are increasingly popular with some customers, just as premium “luxury” wines continue to thrive despite the turbulent economy. 

As Demeine Estates’ Senior VP of Marketing Marcott Diaz puts it, “Consumers are drinking less but drinking better. We see fine wine bucking all of the trends.”

Many Vineyard Operators grew up in rural areas and may have spent ample time outdoors in their youth. Some might have worked on farms or in other agricultural positions. Growing wine grapes takes plenty of patience and an affinity for both science and nature, so operators could have excelled in biology or chemistry in their high school days. Many grew up keenly interested in environmentalism and now seek to utilize the most organic, biodynamic, eco-friendly, sustainable processes possible in their vineyards!