Assistant Winemaker
The Assistant Winemaker supports the production of Champagne and sparkling wines by assisting in grape growing, harvest, fermentation, quality evaluation, and preparation of finished wines. This role collaborates with multiple teams to ensure winery workflows and quality standards are met, contributing to continuous improvement and troubleshooting throughout the winemaking process. It offers hands-on experience in sparkling wine production combining technical knowledge with sensory evaluation and operational support.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Scientific & QA.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
What You’ll Do
Bring hands-on winemaking and technical support to sparkling wine (Champagne-style) production. You will support the winemaking process from grape receiving and fermentation through laboratory analysis, sensory evaluation, bench trials, and preparation for bottling and shipment. Work closely with winemaking, production, laboratory, vineyard, and operations teams to coordinate workflows, ensure quality, troubleshoot issues, and contribute to continuous improvement.
- Support sparkling wine production workflows, including grape receiving, fermentation monitoring and sampling
- Review and interpret analytical data and lab results to guide winemaking decisions
- Participate in sensory evaluation and tasting panels to assess wine quality and style
- Conduct bench and operational trials and manage samples and work orders
- Assist with cellar operations and hands-on cellar work (racking, blending, transfers)
- Help prepare wines for shipping and bottling, ensuring adherence to quality specifications
- Contribute to continuous improvement and troubleshoot quality or operational challenges
- Participate in harvest activities, vineyard assessments, and berry sensory analysis when needed
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a science (STEM) field plus 1 year of relevant experience (winemaking, viticulture, winery engineering, chemistry, distillation, beverage production, brewing, or product development) OR a Bachelor’s degree plus 3 years of relevant experience demonstrating increasing responsibility
- Must be 21 years of age or older (role requires wine tasting)
- Must be 18 years or older (may be in addition to the tasting age requirement)
- Valid driver’s license, safe driving record and reliable vehicle (if applicable). Position will undergo a motor vehicle record (MVR) check; candidate must obtain appropriate state driver’s license within 30 days of hire if required by location
- Able to lift and move up to 50 lbs occasionally
- Possess color vision sufficient to judge wine color
- Ability to taste and evaluate wines
- Willingness to travel up to ~5% of the time for onboarding, training or business needs
Preferred / How You’ll Stand Out
- Bachelor’s in Viticulture or Enology with 2+ years of enology, winemaking, viticulture, or related experience
- At least one harvest or winery internship experience
- Basic sensory exposure to wine and sparkling wine styles
- Experience with wine chemistry analysis and basic lab techniques
- Hands-on cellar experience and familiarity with cellar operations
- Strong Excel and database skills (experience with SQL, Visual Basic or similar is a plus)
- Experience reading and interpreting technical procedures, regulations and professional journals
- Experience preparing reports, procedures and presenting technical information to groups
- Familiarity with MS Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint at an intermediate level
- Comfort working in varied climatic conditions and following established procedures with some independent judgment
- Understanding of fundamentals of wine chemistry, wine microbiology and viticulture practices
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $70,400 - $105,600 per year (range provided by Confidential Client)
- Benefits may include medical and dental coverage, 401(k) plans, profit sharing, pet insurance, company holidays, access to employee wine shop and more. Exact benefits depend on work category and will be shared before interview.
Workplace Details & Legal
- Employment type: Full-time, onsite. This role requires working on-site with no telecommuting option; candidates are expected to live within a commutable distance to Modesto, CA.
- Confidential Client does not sponsor employment-based visas for this position.
- This position may be subject to background checks and participation in E-Verify as required by law.
- The employer complies with applicable state and federal laws regarding non-discrimination, reasonable accommodation, and hiring practices.
- If you require accommodation in the recruiting process due to a disability, please notify the recruiter or Careertakes.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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