Winemaking and Vineyard Assistant – Parallel 44 and Door 44 Vineyards & Wineries
Founded in 2005 by owners Steve Johnson and Maria Milano, Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery is located east of Green Bay, Wisconsin in the Wisconsin Ledge AVA. Door 44 Winery, our sister winery, was established in 2013, located in the heart of Door County. Parallel 44 and Door 44 continue to be a leader in producing quality wines and raising the profile of Wisconsin wine. Known for its focus on cold climate varietals, our wines continue to win the highest awards for wines from our region, most recently Winery of the Year at the International Cold Climate competition. Our wines are sold direct to consumer at our two tasting room locations, online and hundreds of retailers in Wisconsin. We also have a large and growing wine club.
Parallel 44/ Door 44 Wineries are actively looking for an energetic, detail-oriented, and hard working individual to assist in our vineyard and cellar. This is a mid-level position and requires the ability to stand for long periods of time and lift over 50 pounds continuously. A willingness to learn about wine and the production from vineyard to bottle is highly encouraged. We are a small business, and employees are expected to be flexible and help in other areas when needed. This full-time position covers a full range of grape growing and wine making activities.
Duties and Responsibilities:
This is an entry level position and reports to our owner, tasks include assisting in all activities from the creation of our wines, to the growing of our grapes, to the bottling of our wines under the direction of the Owner as follows (but not limited to):
o Assist with all activities in the vineyard, including but not limited to:
o Pruning, training of the vines, weed control
o Replacing/repairing wires and posts
o Working with newly planted vines
o Assists in harvest activities, including, but not limited to: fruit processing, cap management, press activities, etc.
o Regularly performs routine cellar tasks including wine movements, chemical additions, barrel work and preparation of wine for bottling.
o Assist in setup and cleanup activities, including sanitation of cellar equipment to ensure quality and prevent contamination.
o Operates a forklift to maneuver wine, tanks, barrels and other objects commonplace to the cellar.
o Sanitize and set up bottling line, and assist with the bottling process
o Clean and sanitize all tanks and equipment in wine production areas.
•  Maintain a clean and organized wine production and wine storage area.
•  Assist Winemaker and Production Manager as needed in the production of wine.
•  Comply with all safety standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

•  Assist in wine bottling operation in the following ways: preparing facility, setting up and calibrating the labeling machine, manage wine label inventory, running the labeling machine, cleaning and organizing equipment and supplies.
•  Clean & sanitize tanks at designated intervals using cleaning solutions, water, and necessary tools according to SOPs.
•  Clean and sanitize equipment such as filters, grape presses, etc. to insure effective support of winemaking.
•  Follow standard operating procedures (SOP) to clean and sanitize items on a routine scheduled basis such as hoses, barrels, grape press, destemmer/crusher, buckets, clamps, etc.
•  Examine and inspect tanks or equipment for malfunctions prior to use. Report any concerns prior to use.
•  Clean the production facility on a regular basis.
•  Coordinate with Tasting Room Manager and Production manager to ensure tasting room is stocked and wine is pulled and ready for events.
•  Fork lift operation
•  Other duties as assigned like building maintenance as needed
•  Grape receiving, sorting, crushing and pressing
•  Pumpovers and punchdowns
•  Draining and pressing tanks
•  Juice and wine additions
•  Juice/wine racking
•  Barrel filling, racking, and topping
•  Tank and Barrel sanitation, and maintenance
•  General sanitation of all winery and vineyard equipment
•  Accurately follow and complete work-orders under general supervision
•  Forklift operation
•  Tractor operation
•  Any other tasks as needed.

Physical Requirements
Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. on a repetitive basis, work standing up and walk on concrete surfaces for extended periods of up to 8 hours. The position requires repetitive squatting and strenuous pulling and pushing of hoses and pumps. The position is M-F and 40 hours a week except during the harvest season. This position must be able to work any shift (including Sat and Sundays) and any hours during harvest, typically September-November.

Job Qualifications
Ability to perform repetitive strenuous labor.
Strong communication and organizational skills.
Extreme accuracy and attention to detail.
Basic math skills.
Demonstrated ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects and problem solve, with little direction.
Ability to effectively communicate (verbally and written) to a variety of audiences.
Sense of Urgency.
Strong work ethic
Ability to learn new skills
Compensation:
Commensurate with mid-western industry standards, and work experience for a winemaking assistant and vineyard assistant, Company standard benefits include dental coverage, holiday and vacation pay, and retirement savings plan is available. In addition to offering competitive compensation and benefits, the position offers a chance to build experience at one of Wisconsin’s original wineries.

Commencement: As soon as possible.
To apply, please email the following to maria@parallel44.com Please put ‘Winemaking and Vineyard assistant” in the subject line.
•  Cover letter describing your interest and qualifications
•  Resume
•  Reference list – including at least 2 industry work related references.