Oregon Wine Research Institute

Jobs and Internships 2011-2012   Oregon State University students arranging for summer internship positions in the winegrape industry should begin the search as early as fall/winter.  Contact Kelly Donegan (donegank@hort.oregonstate.edu) in Horticulture for more information on opportunities for Viticulture and Linda Dunn (Linda.Dunn@oregonstate.edu) in Food Science & Technology for Enology. Stay tuned for upcoming postings for internship opportunities on this site. Contact vineyards and/or winery businesses directly for potential opportunities to fit your needs in viticulture and/or enology. A link to lists of businesses in Oregon are listed by region:

Job and internship postings for Oregon and across the country can also be found at WineJobs.com

Posted May 2012

Position: Enology Extension Specialist
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Company: Virginia Tech, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Food Science and Technology
For More Information Visit the Virginia Tech Job Website

This position is a 100% extension, full-time (12 month) non-tenure track appointment in the Food Science and Technology Department located in Blacksburg, VA and will report directly to the Department Head. Primary responsibilities of this position are to expand the educational resources available to Virginia grape and wine producers. They will also be able to support the technical growth and development of Virginia's wine industry, through the expansion of educational extension programs and applied enological research; to provide educational resources to existing and potential wine industry practitioners; and to provide an educational bridge between vineyard practices that directly impact wine quality potential, and the wine production practices that maximize that potential. This position is primarily a field resource, working directly with grape and wine producers throughout the state, but having a fixed base of operations either in the Food Science and Technology Department on campus, or at the Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Winchester.

Required Qualifications
A MS in food science or related discipline is required with education and/or experience in best management practices for enology and viticulture. Effective communication skills and ability to work with in a team environment are essential.

Prefered Qualifications
A PhD in food science or related discipline. 

How to Apply
For a full description of the position and requirements, and to apply, please go to www.jobs.vt.edu, posting #0121787. Attach a resume, cover letter, and list of three professional references, and candidate statement to the online faculty application. Review of applications will begin on 5-21-12 and continue until the position is filled.

Posted May 2012

Position: Cellar Intern
Location: Portland OR
Company: Boedecker Cellars
Contact: Stewart Boedecker stewart@boedeckercellars.com

Boedecker Cellars is seeking skilled, motivated and enthusiastic cellar interns for the 2012 vintage. We are a family owned winery located in Portland, Oregon, with vineyard sources throughout the Willamette Valley. We produce approximately 150 total tons of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. Interns will work directly with the winemaking staff and be exposed to all aspects of fruit processing, fermentation and barrel aging of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc.

Primary duties of the role include:

• Cleaning and sanitation of tanks, hoses and winery equipment
• Running crush equipment and sorting fruit
• Barrel work
• Cap management
• Transfer and rack wine from tank to tank
• Juice/wine transfers
• Additions and inoculations
• Daily brix, temperature and pH measurement
• Topping tanks and barrels
• Monitor tank temperatures and operate glycol system
• Maintain sanitation and good housekeeping
• Operate forklift to move equipment, barrels, etc

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experience:

• Minimum of 1-2 years cellar experience preferred
• Current Driver’s License and forklift certification
• Flexible and willing to work varying shifts, overtime, and weekends
• Able to read, write, speak and understand English
• Able to accurately complete work instructions individually or in a team
• Attention to detail and a commitment to quality
• Able to lift 50 pounds

The Boedecker Cellars internship is a great opportunity to gain both knowledge and experience in ultra-premium wine production with a small, close-knit and fun team.

Salary Information:
Hourly+Overtime DOE

Please email your CV and other relevant information. No phone calls, please.
Contact Information:
Boedecker Cellars
Stewart Boedecker
stewart@boedeckercellars.com

Posted May 2012

Position: Harvest Lab Intern
Location: Sonoma CA
Company: Ravenswood Winery
Please apply online at www.cwine.com

The Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma, CA is seeking a lab technician, preferably with a wine-related qualification (biology, chemistry, microbiology, enology, etc.) or relevant experience, who is looking for an opportunity to gain more experience in the wine industry.

Position Summary:

This is a seasonal harvest position in the lab with responsibility for monitoring incoming grapes and fermentations and performing additions to fermenting tanks along with regular daily lab duties. There may also be opportunity to work in the cellar, assisting the crew with all aspects of harvest cellar daily duties.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Monitoring fermentations and making additions to tanks.
• Testing incoming grapes for ripeness.
• Performing daily analysis and lab tests on juice/wine samples.
• Assisting in the set up of tastings.
• Collects samples as required for tasting and/or analysis using appropriate sampling procedures.
• Logging daily analysis results in excel, word and wine tracking software.
• Performing daily cellar duties involving punch-down and pump-over, assisting with pressing tanks, racking wine and working with barrels.
• Performing other assignments related to the functioning of the lab.

Recommended Qualifications

• Previous lab experience and/or harvest experience desired
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow precise directions under minimal supervision.
• Must be computer literate and know MS Word and Excel.
• Strong ability to communicate, both written and verbally
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time, walk on cat-walks and lift up to 55lbs.
• Must be available for weekend shifts and overtime as needed.
• Must pass pre-employment drug screen

Posted May 2012

Position: Harvest Cellar Intern
Location: Sonoma CA
Company: Ravenswood Winery
Please apply online at www.cwine.com

Need a change from making wimpy wines?

If you are looking for a change, we encourage you to apply for our harvest cellar internship. As a cellar intern at Ravenswood you will have the opportunity to apply your cellar and harvest experience to help us make wine with personality. Our interns are a valuable part of our harvest cellar team and will work independently and in teams to carry out various harvest duties required to turn grapes into wine.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Grape receiving, crushing, pressing, racking, juice and must additions, pump-overs, barrel prep/filling, sanitation, and general winery operations. 
• Must be able to perform all job functions in strict adherence to company health and safety protocols, and in accordance with quality control standards and standard equipment operating procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be able to begin working full time in late August or early September and continue working through late October or early November; must be able to work min. five days/week, six days/week during peak harvest weeks.
• Must be pursuing, or recently graduated from, a wine related degree program
• Must be able to perform work duties in and outdoors.
• Strong technical skills or prior crush experience required.   
• Must be able to stand for extended periods of time, and lift up to 55 pounds
• Must be able to work in various temperature conditions, with moderate noise levels
• Valid Driver’s License and pre-employment drug screen required
• Must be at least 21 years of age.

Posted April 2012

Position: Graduate Research Assistantship
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Company: Oregon State University
Contact: Dr. Patty Skinkis (skinkisp@hort.oregonstate.edu) or Dr. James Osborne (James.Osborne@oregonstate.edu)

The successful candidate for this Graduate Research Assistantship will complete a MS degree while working with a diverse group of scientists on research to better understand how grapevine nutrition affects canopy microclimate, berry and wine fermentation and composition. The successful candidate will participate as a team member with principle investigators and will assume full technical and operational responsibility for all phases of their research on relationships between vine canopy, microclimate, and fruit chemistry and wine production. During the degree program, the graduate research assistant will be expected to meet academic requirements of the home department and of the Graduate School at OSU, collect vineyard data, perform laboratory analyses, statistically examine data, communicate effectively orally and in writing, and publish the results of their research in peer-reviewed journals. Information about the principle investigators can be found at:

Dr. James Osborne (http://oregonstate.edu/dept/foodsci/faculty/jpo.htm)
Dr. Patty Skinkis (http://hort.oregonstate.edu/faculty-staff/skinkis)

Minimum / Required qualifications: A BS degree is required in a discipline relevant to the position (horticulture, agronomy, plant science, biology, botany, food science, biochemistry, chemistry, or related field).

Preferred qualifications: Strong organizational, oral and written communication skills; ability to work independently; valid driver’s license; ability to lift, carry, push, and pull objects weighing up to 50lbs.

Competencies, skills, and expectations: Strong work ethic, academically self-directed, ability and willingness to work non-traditional workdays/hours, collect field data, and conduct laboratory analyses.

Application materials must include all required documentation indicated by OSU Department of Horticulture or Department of Food Science & Technology, and the OSU Graduate School, including cover letter with statement of intent, resume, university transcripts, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, and contact details for three professional references. Screening of applicants will begin on May 7, 2012.

Posted April 2012

Position: Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Location: Ontario, Canada
Company: Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, Brock University, Niagara Region
Contact: Please forward a CV and two references to Prof. Gary Pickering at gpickering@brocku.ca or mail to the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada

Alkyl-methoxypyrazines are important odor-active compounds in some wines, and generally are associated with tainted wine or wine made from grapes that have not achieved optimum ripeness. We recently demonstrated the capacity of some polyethylene-based polymers and high-affinity proteins to adsorb/bind methoxypyrazines in wine, offering a potential strategy for removing them from grape juice and wine. The current project will expand upon this preliminary work by identifying and testing candidate polyethylene and other bioactive polymers, optimising their performance in wine and juice, and scaling the technology up to a commercial level.

We are seeking a candidate with a high level of competence in GC-MS analysis of flavour compounds and with chemical engineering experience to play a senior role in this project, which is part of a larger multi-disciplinary program involving 19 scientists from Ontario research institutions. Prior experience with polymers, protein biochemistry, wine processing, and/or measuring alkyl-methoxypyrazines is an advantage.

This three-year post-doctoral position will start as soon as possible, preferably in early summer 2012. Salary, including benefits, is $50,000 CAD per annum. Review of applications will begin in May, 2012. Please forward a Curriculum Vitae and two references to Prof Gary Pickering at gpickering@brocku.ca, or mail to the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.