Who We Are: Perched upon the rolling hills that define the landscape of the Carneros AVA, Ram’s Gate Winery welcomes visitors as they enter Sonoma’s Wine Country. The winery’s portfolio showcases wines that are fresh, compelling, and uncompromising in quality, sourced from vineyards that encompass the spirit of Sonoma County. Its connection to the land is reflected in the breathtaking tasting room that overlooks the estate vineyard made up of 28 acres of organically farmed vines. Rooted in exploration, the Ram’s Gate Winery team brings a new perspective on refined elegance through thoughtful farming, transparent winemaking, genuine hospitality, and sublime culinary experiences.

Who You Are: You embody the essence of a true master of the cellar, seamlessly navigating the intricacies of everyday cellar operations with technical expertise. Your unwavering commitment and drive for excellence are reflected in every facet of the winemaking process, with a relentless pursuit of premium wine quality. Your profound passion for continuous learning fuels a dedication that spans from the vineyard to the cellar. As a seasoned Cellar Master, you excel not only in operational mastery, but also embrace the role of a mentor, overseeing, and guiding Harvest Interns within the cellar. Your unique blend of technical operations and a profound understanding of the scientific intricacies of winemaking sets you apart from others, as you are an invaluable contributor to the success of our winemaking program.

Job Description: This role falls under the direction of both the Winemaker and Assistant Winemaker. You will work closely with them to coordinate all activities of everyday wine production by performing all necessary tasks. While working within a very intimate team, you will maintain the integrity and appearance of all spaces, staff, and materials. Lastly, you must be curious and strive for more wine knowledge whether it be vineyard education, outside tasting groups, or setting up internal competitive tastings for our winemaking team. While the operations side of this position is critical, someone who has a great palette and can comfortably speak about wine but is willing to learn more is just as pivotal.

Essential Functions:
•  Conduct and be responsible for all aspects of the cellar from everyday topping and sampling for lab analysis to confidently leading and running the crush pad during harvest
•  Accepts, completes, and comprehends work orders and ensures they are accurately completed and recorded within our software
•  Works closely with both Winemakers to ensure premium quality within the cellar
•  Prioritize daily work to ensure efficient use of time and completion of assigned work for oneself and the team
•  Supervises and operates all winery machinery safely and reports any incidents immediately
•  Comfortably drive the forklift in tight spaces, safely, with stacks of full or empty barrels
•  Work with the Assistant Winemaker in training, leading, and supervising harvest interns and ensure staff follows safety guidelines and procedures
•  Conducts and leads by example various aspects of winery operations and crush work including but not limited to the following:
Forklift operations
Pump-overs; racking; punch-downs; wine, juice, and must additions
Pumping, clarifying, and blending of juice and wine
Operates and cares for filters, pumps, presses, hoses, and other cellar equipment
Barrel work including filling, emptying, topping, cleaning, and emptying

•  Sample wines for lab analysis and runs analysis in the lab.
•  Familiar with operating a Y15 or similar automatic analyzers for wine chemistry
•  Familiar with winemaking software such as Innovint. Ability to create and complete assigned work-orders
•  Maintains inventory of all cellar/lab supplies and equipment. Requests, and places orders, if not fixable
•  Assists Winemaker with blends, development of house styles, and unique blends for retail sales
•  Oversees all winemaking processes in partnership with Winemaker and Assistant Winemaker
•  Maintains the winery and winemaking equipment in an organized, like new condition
•  Helps to maintain, conduct facility checks, and complete annual reports involved with all aspects of compliance for Federal, State, and local Government as needed by the Assistant Winemaker
•  Helps manage and assist in the development and maintenance of employee safety training for Harvest Interns
•  Enforces safety regulations. Maintains the MSDS notebooks, and confined space regulations program
•  Assists with major wine events as needed to include attending off-site wine functions, and other areas of the winery, vineyard, and business as needed

Knowledge, Skill and Experience:
•  Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or equivalent, preferably in Winemaking or Ag related
•  3-5 years of related experience and/or training
•  Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations
•  Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume
•  •  Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry
•  Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
•  Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables
•  Must be able to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language(s) used in the workplace
•  Contributing to an inclusive environment
•  Certification in California RBS Training required within 30 days of employment
•  Certification in California Alcohol Server Training required within 30 days of employment
•  Must be at least 21 years of age
•  A valid driver’s license with a social security card OR a passport is required

Ram’s Gate Winery is an equal opportunity employer.