The client is seeking a Director of Winemaking to oversee all winemaking operations at its site. In this role, you will work closely with Grower Relations and the viticulture team to select outside grower vineyards for specific programs and to help maintain and increase wine quality across both outside and estate vineyards.
You will be responsible for all winemaking activities on site, including partnering with brand winemakers to produce the highest-quality wine aligned with the desired winestyle. The role also includes managing winemakers and seasonal harvest interns, coordinating with internal and external wineries within the group to manage wines produced and/or stored off site, and managing the blending schedule to ensure blends are ready for bottling in a timely manner.
You will partner with internal teams to manage wine quality from both internal and external vineyards, manage the winemaking budget, and oversee key vendor and cellar operations such as relationships with coopers, barrel orders, and maintenance contracts for oak tanks. Additional responsibilities include coordinating routine wine analysis and sample/tasting processes, supporting label and packaging approvals with procurement, ensuring compliance via wine tracking, driving continuous improvement in cellar and winemaking practices (including upgrades and equipment planning with engineering), and ensuring legal, quality, environmental, and safety standards are met; you may also provide support for sales, customer relations, marketing, and PR through trade/media hosting and related events.