Wine Cellar Program Details
The Wine cellar training programs give individuals the opportunity to gain hands-on experience during the wine harvest. On the wine cellar program, you will gain hands-on experience working in the cellar and learn about the important techniques that go into creating a quality wine. Cellar programs can be physically demanding and involve heavy lifting and long hours during grape pressing, or "crush" time.
This program can include:
- Vineyard sampling
- Sanitizing tanks
- Receiving grapes
- Crushing/de-stemming
- Juice racking
- Red pump-over
- Stirring barrels
- Punch downs
- Additions
- Emptying red fermenters
- Learning to drain and shovel out tanks
- Pressing
- Barreling juice
- Topping barrels
- Racking wine
- Wine filtration
- Lees filtration
Program Availability:
Mid-August through mid-December (depending on climate and location).
Skills
Some of the skills learned on this program may include:
- Identify different styles of wine
- Identify major factors affecting wine quality
- Identify and understand microorganisms – beneficial and detrimental
- Identify barrel types and understand effects on wine
- Understand the functions of winery equipment
- Understand the process of alcohol fermentation
- Identify and perform wine filtration techniques
- Identify and perform wine development and blending
- Identify and carry out sanitation procedures
- Identify and practice winery safety procedures - breathing apparatus, caustic products, and accident prevention
*Actual skills learned will vary by placement and previous experience.
