Wine Industry Internships

As many people know, college internships are educational programs that help the student or newcomer familiarize them with the business while gaining practical work experience. Some winery internships are paid while others are unpaid; it all depends on the preference of the employer.

Here are a few examples of potential wine industry internships and the duties that would follow:

• Harvest Interns – Duties include assistance with the harvest and cellar duties, including all or some of the following: racking, yeast and fermentation control, and cap management. Typically vineyards will look for someone that has either completed or in the process of completing their B.S. in Enology/Viticulture.
• Crush Interns – Duties will range but involve racking, pump-overs as well as fork-lift work. Again, typically the vineyards will seek out those within their Bachelor’s program.
• Wine Marketing Interns – This is a great opportunity for those seeking careers on the business side of the wine industry. Similar to a marketing internship for general business, this opportunity exposes students to sales techniques and the intricacies of the wine industry at the same time.
• Wine Laboratory Interns – Duties will be similar to harvest and crush internships, but focus more on the scientific side of winemaking. These internships are seeking candidates with a science-focused background and familiarity with the following tests: pH, TA and Brix procedures.
• Winery Interns – This is another internship that focuses on the business side of wine production. The duties for these experiences are typically administrative focused, but give a realistic job preview for the students.

The majority of wine industry internships available are on the production side (harvest and crush interns). However, new internships are created with the ever-expanding wine industry, so continue looking on all the major wine career resource sites. If you are a student, utilize your student resource center to see what opportunities and advice they offer for internship experience.