Winemaker

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Work Tasks

• Oversee the making of wine; experiment to find the best grapes, best taste, and best quality
• Test grapes to measure sweetness and acidity, and make sure they are healthy, fresh, and ready to harvest
• Mix juice from different grapes to get the right taste
• Supervise the bottling of wine and look for ways to improve bottling methods
• Work for small or large vineyards and for themselves in their own vineyard
• Work with all varieties of grapes, crushing, fermentation, and aging equipment, blending and bottling equipment, chemicals, lab equipment, laws and rules, and business records

Salary, Size & Growth

• $86,000 average per year ($41.25 per hour)
• A medium occupation (143,300 workers in 2010)
• Expected to decline (0.8% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: Several years of work experience in wine making
• Employers Prefer: A 4-year degree in enology or a related field
• Skills/Courses: College courses include chemistry, math, physics, biology, food technology, enology, business management, and public speaking.