Thursday, May 15, 2014

Profile of a Wine Job: Enologist (courtesy of Wine Folly)

Madeline Puckette of Wine Folly posted a great article about what it is like to be an enologist.  Anyone out there wondering what different types of jobs there are in the wine industry should take a look at the post here.  

Some excerpts:

What exactly is an Enologist?  An enologist is someone who is responsible for everything having to do with the science (chemistry and biology) of the wine. Their responsibilities vary a lot from winery to winery depending on the winery size, wines produced, and needs of the winery.

How to become an EnologistAdvice: It is most important to have a good foundation in chemistry and microbiology. Many enologists will also get a degree in Enology.
  • Community College: There are quite a few community colleges that offer certificate programs in Viticulture and Enology. Some of these programs do a great job.
  • University: There are a few universities who offer a B.S. in Enology and have Master’s and PhD programs. The university I attended had a fully operating winery where the students got to experience it all, from harvest to marketing the wine.
Most people who get into wine production like to take advantage of the fact that there are wine producing regions all over the world. It’s fun and educational to travel andwork harvest at different wineries. That is a great way to get experience. You can learn a lot in school, but nothing can prepare you more than hands-on experience.

Wine Folly has lots of other great articles about the wine business and wine appreciation.  Take a look, you'll enjoy it.

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