Job Title: Assistant Winemaker
Reports To: Winemaker
Employment Type: Full-Time

Job Overview: 2 Lads Winery is seeking a detail-oriented and motivated Assistant Winemaker to support and lead our production program. This position offers a hands-on role in all aspects of the process and works closely with the winemaker, owner, and team directors to create stellar cool climate wines. The ideal candidate will be passionate about wine, possess great technical skills, and ready to grow within a team-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities:
•  Production: high quality still and traditional method sparkling wines
•  Vineyard: assist in monitoring fruit maturity and sampling tasks
•  Assist in all aspects of winemaking and cellar work: receiving and processing fruit, fermentation management, pump-overs and punch downs, blending, barrel work, topping and racking, final preparation and bottling
•  Cellar: top barrels, maintain wine in tanks, conduct and help manage a sanitary cellar and neat workspace, maintain good logistical practices for workflow
•  Fermentation and aging: monitor fermentations, conduct sensory evaluations, track wine development, and execute lab trials as needed
•  Data and Records: maintain accurate winemaking records and production notes, assist with compliance reporting, assist with inventories of production packaging
•  Leadership: support the winemaking team in training and supervising any seasonal and temporary staff
•  Conduct best practices and strive to improve safety protocols in the workspace
•  Pass it on: along with the winemaker, serve as a liaison and communicator between cellar, admin and tasting room staff (tell the people about the goodness!)
•  Equipment Operation: Safely operate and maintain winery equipment within cellar, crush pad and vineyard

Qualifications:
•  Degree in Enology, Fermentation Science, or related field
•  5+ years of experience in a winemaking program, ideally boutique or premium
•  Experience working with cool climate varieties or in a cool climate region
•  Leadership, teamwork, and excellent communication skills
•  Excellent sensory evaluation and analytical abilities
•  Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
•  Respectful, driven, hardworking, humble, and honest
•  Able to work long hours under physically demanding situations (harvest, adverse weather, etc.)
•  Able to move/lift up to 50 pounds
•  Experience with operating a forklift, electric pallet mover, tractor, and/or other farm or warehouse equipment is not required (but is a plus)

Compensation:
•  Hourly wage: $22 - $26/hour
•  6 paid holidays: Labor Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and your birthday
•  56 hours of paid time off (available after 180th day of employment)
•  100% employer paid Health and Dental Care coverage (available after 61st day of employment); spouse/dependent coverage available at 70% employee/30% employer paid
•  Simple IRA plan available with up to 3% employer match
•  Monthly allocation of 3 bottles of 2 Lads wine