Assistant Winemaker - Cellar Rat
The job is physical and requires a great deal of energy while also requiring the ability to
communicate with the public. The duties of the job are diverse, from the mundane of
cleaning winery equipment to the excitement of instructing a group of customers about
winemaking. Slinging hoses, running pumps and climbing ladders are a part of the
position. You’ll be learning how to make high quality wines while being in an incredibly
fun environment. Agricultural and fermentation students are especially welcome to apply.
The following are some of the tasks expected:
Harvest Season (twice a year):
* Sorting shipments of grapes
* Manage scheduling of clients
* Leading groups of people in the winemaking process
* Cleaning winery equipment
* Managing fermentations, adding nutrients, etc.
Non-Harvest Season (throughout the year):
* Leading groups in bottling their wine
* Racking wines
* Filtering wines
* Setup for private parties, corporate events, etc.
* Food service and bussing
* Marketing activities
* Cleaning the winery
* Topping off the barrels
The job is diverse in skillset and challenges. The winery produces about 40,000 bottles
of wine a year. The grapes are imported from famous regions around the world. Please
send an email of interest and we can explore whether this is the right match.
• Location: Dayton NJ
• This is a part-time job with no regular hours – evenings, weekends and/or
weekdays may be required
• Principals only.
About Us
The Grape Escape has been a New Jersey destination for over ten years. The management and staff of The Grape Escape are proud to now be under the direction of Ed Ventura and Phyllis Heller, two certifiable winenuts.
Ed had a successful corporate career, followed by establishing and operating a management consultancy that specialized in data governance. He decided to pull back on the consultancy when the opportunity arose to purchase The Grape Escape from its founders, Tom and Nancy Nye, who relocated to the Midwest.
Phyllis and Ed had been long-time customers of the winemaking school and, combined with their life-long journeys centered about wine, felt that The Grape Escape was a perfect fit. Traveling throughout Italy, they learned about winemaking from some of the most incredible boutique wineries, such as Pratesi in Carmignano (Tuscany) and Tasca D, Almerita and Morgante in Sicily. Wineries in France served as a backdrop for developing their palates throughout the Rhone Valley, with visits to the highly acclaimed towns of Chateau-Neuf-de-Pape and Beaunne. Of course, let’s not forget the New World wine regions throughout California, Washington and New York.
The plans that Phyllis and Ed have for The Grape Escape revolve around the model of winemaking as an excuse to socialize. The four steps of the winemaking process give you the chance to be with friends who have a common interest and with whom you will be transforming fruit from the land into the nectar of the gods. There are plans to expand the wines offered and to bring you some new options for your wine to age. The Grape Escape will be looking to offer some Old World style options, all while continuing to produce customer favorites.
Activate JobCopilot
Your email job alert is now active!