Position Summary

As a core member of the Viticulture team, you will be responsible for developing and executing a farming plan focused on vine and soil health, fruit quality and sustainable practices. You will partner in developing specific goals, policy, procedures, and quality objectives for the wine-growing process.  You will ensure that grapes meet quality and supply objectives by performing daily activities in pest monitoring, yield estimation, plant nutrition, maturity sampling and practical vineyard improvement trials. You will provide technical support to vineyard managers and senior leaders through data collection and reporting, coordination of treatment applications, vineyard development planning and sensory evaluation of wine. At WFE, employee performance is measured through the results delivered, as well as your behavior. Your consistent demonstration of our WFE RISE Values (Respect, Integrity, Sustainability & Excellence) are an expectation of all members of our team. The winegrowing operation is also driving a quality renaissance through our focus on key priorities, measuring what matters, and the integration of Lean/Shingo principles. As a member of our team, it is an expectation that you will improve the work, which supports the innovation and development of the whole.  

Essential Functions

Scouting, data collection and accurate record keeping including but not limited to:
Vineyard pest
Phenology
Nutrient: tissue and soil
Pruning weights
Crop estimation
Maturity sampling
Sugar loading
Sustainability metrics
Water stress
Systems management including but not limited to:
AgCode
360Viti
Agrian
Vine View
ArcGIS
Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft Teams
HIPPO
Expected to make improvements, schedule, and track progress for:
Block farming plan, budget, task tracking and PY comparison
Cultural vineyard practices
Pest and nutrient management
Vineyard treatment and pesticides applications
Sustainable enhancements
Innovation and experiments ie. new products, equipment, methods
Work orders
Act as a service provider to support the voice of the customer:
Winemaking & cellar (internal)
Custom Farming
Grape Sales
Grape Purchasing
Assist in Essential harvest planning functions:
Truck scheduling
Customer fruit deliveries
Fruit scheduling
Berry chemistry processing/reporting
Physical Demands/Qualifications

Must be able to hike uneven terrain in vineyards.
Must be prepared work in all weather conditions year-round.
Must be able to stand, bend and twist frequently and lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
Committed to work long hours and many weekends during harvest and other times of heavy workloads.
Non-Physical Demands/Qualifications

S. in Viticulture, plant science, or related Ag studies.
3-5 years vineyard experience.
Valid CA Driver’s License
Operate under deadlines and sometimes a high degree of pressure. Work in a multi-task interrupt driven environment.
Interact with all levels of staff using effective interpersonal skills.
Computer skills needed, familiarity using Microsoft Teams, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint. AgCode experience is a plus.
Introductory level education in Lean and Shingo practices.
Bilingual in Spanish is a plus.
Forklift operating experience is a plus.
QAL or PCA License is a plus.
COVID-19 Precaution(s):

Personal protective equipment provided or required
Temperature screenings
Social distancing guidelines in place
Virtual meetings
Sanitizing, disinfecting, or cleaning procedures in place
Sustainability Values statement:

Supports environmental sustainability by controlling use of pesticides.  Everything done in the vineyard is all in relation to the environment.  Purchase the safest and most environmental-friendly products.  Find extra uses for waste, such as recycling used water by filtering for watering.  Impact economical sustainability by reducing the amount and frequency of pesticides used.  Ensure protection of the natural habitat of the animals, by building bird boxes, etc.

 This position description does not promise or imply that the functions listed are the only duties to be performed or that the position may not change or be eliminated.  Employees are always expected to follow their supervisors’ instructions and to perform the tasks requested by their supervisors.