Winemaker
What the work is
Plans, supervises and coordinates the production of wine or spirits from selected varieties of grapes.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Studies, develops and improves models used in the processing and blending of wine to improve or create new products
- Tests and monitors the quality of grapes at different stages of production to assess ripeness, sugar and acid content to identify the ideal time for harvesting
- Liaises with vineyard personnel or contract growers to provide grapes, and advises on how to maintain their integrity for processing
- Conducts laboratory and taste tests on wine samples to study and improve wine quality
- Plans and oversees the wine bottling process to ensure safety and quality standards are met
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a food company's test kitchen and quality lab, and a winery during vintage. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A recipe that failed ten times finally tastes exactly like it should
- You taste a barrel sample and know it is going to be something special
- A shelf stable product you developed lands in shops and people just buy it
Hard days
- Rain is forecast for harvest week and every decision has to be made in a day
- A launch date is promised and the product still has a problem you can taste
- Long hours at the lab tracing a tiny change in a recipe that nobody can see
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 244233, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.