Gary Farrell Winery is seeking a passionate and motivated Cellar Hand individual to join our amazing production team. The ideal candidate has 1-2 years of relevant cellar experience, is a hard worker, fast learner, and detail oriented.
ABOUT US:
Situated in the picturesque Russian River Valley, Gary Farrell offers a stunning work environment, surrounded by rolling hills, overlooking the valley floor. We foster a collaborative and supportive work culture where employees are encouraged to share their ideas and expertise. Our team is passionate about wine, hospitality, and creating memorable experiences for our customers. As one of the pioneering wineries in the Russian River Valley, Gary Farrell has a rich heritage and legacy in the wine industry. The winery specializes in crafting single vineyard, terrior-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. In addition to these flagship wines, Gary Farrell Winery also produces Sauvignon Blanc and Rose, offering a diverse portfolio to wine enthusiasts.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Under the supervision of the Cellar Master, the Cellar Hand executes general wine production activities in accordance with work order instructions and operational policies while maintaining high quality standards. Performs the physical work to accomplish winery production goals and may supervise seasonal interns and staffing agency employees. Assists in maintaining facility equipment and performs basic maintenance to support all departments and ensure overall winery safety, efficiency, and effectiveness.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Performs all barrel work including forklift driving to move and stack barrels, racking, filling, topping, sulfur additions, blending, and stirring.
Works with all cellar equipment including but not limited to pumps, filters, compressed gasses, forklifts, punch down devices, grape processing equipment, presses.
Performs all cellar activities as directed, following established GFW winemaking procedures.
Works closely with the Cellar Master during filtration and bottling operations.
Executes cellar work orders as written in Vintrace, completes work orders accurately.
Performs routine empty barrel maintenance, including preparation and adding of tartaric acid/sulfur solution.
Collects wine samples from barrels and tanks at the direction of the Enologist, Cellar Master, and Winemaker.
General maintenance of all cellar and facilities equipment.
Maintains winery tool room throughout the year, ensuring that maintenance supplies are easily accessible and readily available for production staff and other departments.
Accurately documents all shipments and deliveries utilizing Vintrace BOL’s or via outside vendor paperwork. Ensures that all paperwork is presented to the appropriate staff member after any shipment or delivery.
General sanitation of wine hoses, tanks, equipment, and the winery facility, maintaining high quality standards.
Works in all aspects of winery cellar operations, including long, irregular hours during harvest and bottling.
Assists in generally supervising seasonal workers, and may serve as night shift supervisor during harvest, ensuring that wine quality and safety standards are met.
Forklift driver; responsible for stacking barrels, unloading trucks, and all associated fruit processing operations.
Ability to work and communicate effectively within a small team environment.
Handles small cellar projects independently.
Adherence to all safety policies and procedures, provides mentorship and guidance to seasonal employees with regards to safety protocols.
Performs as an integral member of the winery production team.
Follows directives of Bioterrorism Act and CA sustainable winery practices.
Team oriented wine tasting/sensory evaluation as required.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE:
Works with all facility maintenance equipment including but not limited to forklifts, electric scissor lift, basket reach platform, ladders, etc.
Maintains winery grounds and buildings to high quality standards.
Performs general maintenance of facility equipment and winery buildings.
General facilities clean up and maintenance.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
Minimum 1-2 years’ experience in all phases of cellar operations.
Basic mechanical and maintenance skills desired.
Must have a valid California Driver’s license and must be insurable under the company’s auto policy.
Ability to communicate effectively with good reading, writing and basic math skills.
Knowledgeable regarding safety regulations.
Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision.
Experience sufficient to recognize potential problems that require solutions to be found at a higher level.
Team Player
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
The wine cellar presents a challenging environment: cold, wet, slippery, and often noisy; irregular shifts and long hours during grape harvest; handling hazardous materials; lifting up to 70 lbs., dragging wine hoses, going up and down stairs and ladders, bending, and walking.
For more information about Gary Farrell Winery, please visit www.garyfarrellwinery.com