Assistant Winemaker

Job Description:

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Aspen Peak Cellars is a well established micro-winery located along the north fork of the south Platte river in Bailey, in the picturesque foothills of Denver. Bailey is more or less an hour drive from downtown Denver, Breckenridge ski resort and Buena Vista rafting capital of Colorado. The winery/bistro prides itself for producing award winning wines, year after year in a traditional method, with grapes from the western slope of Colorado, Washington and California. Our goal is to create a wide variety of delicious wines that reveal the typical character of their grape origin and terroir in conjunction with the company’s vision of celebrating the art of food, wine and music. The bistro is a full service restaurant with gourmet international flair. Aspen Peak Cellars has been achieving strong growth over the past 16 years and is looking forward the strengthen their winemaking team with an educated, experienced & ambitious winemaker assistant, offering a unique opportunity to grow into the head winemaker position.

JOB SUMMARY

The Winemaker Assistant will report to the Owner/Winemaker duo and will be fully engaged with the day-to-day winemaking operations from crush to bottle, lab work and quality assurance, impeccable winery sanitation, cellar management and inventory as well as directing and training of additional cellar staff. Additionally, the winemaker assistant position is expected to follow all quality and safety protocols according to industry standards.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Directly assisting winemakers with varietal winemaking from grape to finished product. Varietal responsibility and grape contracting will be determined by Winemaker/Owner duo. Expected to keep impeccable record keeping of all operations and protocols.
Work with the Winemaker/Owner duo in the sector of winemaking to develop varietal program guidelines.
Ensure wines are meeting target sensory and analytical quality requirements.
Direct in-house and off-site lab analysis based on wine needs. Must have strong analytical background to run lab analysis and use lab results to be able to properly maintain wine quality.
Participates in short and long-term planning of finishing/blending wines to maintain a sufficient cellar inventory.
Set priorities according to customer demand. The customer demands can frequently change so flexibility is key.
Directly work with the contracted grape growers to assess vine health and grape quality.
Develop strategies to help improve incoming grape quality.
Aid in decision-making process as to when fruit should be picked.
Complete blending/fining trials, or other experiments.
Work with Winemaker/Owner duo on forecasting and ordering of winemaking supplies. Will play a role in developing winemaking material annual budget.
Assist with oversight of Cellar operations when needed. Direct work and staff to get job done efficiently while keeping wine quality in mind. Maintenance and upkeep of all crush and winery equipment.
Key driver of all safety policies and procedures for the site. This includes overseeing safety audits, incident investigations, implementation of company-wide safety policies and relevant safety training. Must lead by example.

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Must have complete understanding of enological process from grapes through blending. Exposure to a variety of winemaking methodology, wine styles and winemaking processes.
Oversee and train Assistant Winemakers, Enologists, and Interns.
Speaks well in front of groups. Represent brands and company well.
Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously. Must be well organized.
Excellent aptitude and knowledge of wines.
Attend seminars and classes for continual education.
This job description reflects ownership’s assignment of general functions; it does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Proven track record of high integrity.
BS/BA in Enology/Viticulture, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Food Science, Microbiology, or equivalent education/work experience.
2 years minimum from graduation, practical experience in winemaking.
Must be 21 or older at time of hire.
Passionate about wine quality while understanding cost associated with processing to help make smart business decisions.
Good understanding of lab and wine processing equipment.
Comfortable in bargaining unit environments.
Adaptive and stable in changing environments.
Proven analytical thinker, complemented by subjectivity for proper decision making.
Powerful oral and written communicator.
Keen listening skills.
Strong computer skills.
Must possess a strong understanding of safety protocols.
Aspen Peak Cellars is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to an environment of mutual respect, diversity and inclusion. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristic protected by law.

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