Hey everybody!
I am currently looking for 2013 harvest work and I keep running into the same problem of “sorry we don’t hire anyone without experience”. Well that is exactly what I am trying to accomplish. I currently live in Billings, Mt (far far away from any real wine country) but I am working towards relocating to San Luis Obispo county to further pursue a career in the wine industry. I have been employed at our local wine bar for the last 5 years, managing the last 4, so I do poses a far amount of wine knowledge. I am just ready to become more involved in the whole process with a hands-on experience ( and yes I do understand that harvest work is “real” work ) I am open to working the harvest in California, Oregon, or Washington. Anyone have any helpful suggestions or ideas??
Hi Mary -
I would check this website - Wine Jobs
Lots and lots of jobs, part time and full time at various tasting rooms throughout California’s wine country. Harvests are done by long time professionals, many of them union, and it’s pretty hard to crack into that part of the biz -
And most winery owners are like regular employers - you have to prove yourself to them first before you get any kind of decent pay, hours or consideration for advancement -
BUT - You grab a job at a tasting room, show them what you can do, the sky is the limit - get to know the owners/winemakers - pretty soon you start picking up other jobs, and next thing you know - you are the next Robert Freakin’ Mondavi -
You would be surprised how many people in the wine country have a story like yours - so go for it -
So she’s gotta have a sex-change operation, too? 