Friday, November 6, 2020

WineTalent Classifieds: Production Cost Accountant and Analyst role in the Napa Valley



WineTalent is working with our client, Far Niente Family of Wineries and Vineyards, on an Accountant role within the Napa Valley.

About the Company:  Far Niente is a group of well-respected wineries and sustainably grown vineyards.  The six wine brands have widespread distribution and a strong direct-to-consumer business.  

About the Position:  The Production Cost Accountant and Analyst will apply the principles of accounting to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports by compiling information, preparing account reconciliations, and utilizing appropriate accounting control procedures.  The role provides accounting support in inventory, COGS reporting and analysis, account reconciliations, monthly close activities and end of year accounting resolution. 

Responsibilities:  

  • Assists in month-end accounting close by performing accurate and timely completion of assigned financial close activities. 
  • Performs complex analysis functions, reviews sub-ledger transactions and posts entries to general ledger accounts. 
  • Responsible for the preparation of more complex account reconciliation and analysis.
  • Perform analysis and forecasts on project and operational production costs.  
  • Recommends and supports improvement opportunities and/or risks based on review and analysis of variances. 
  • Develop and report key metrics to senior management. 
  • Applies cost principles to analyze project costs and reconcile variances.
  • Supports audit and regulatory requests, generates ad hoc analyses reports ensuring needed financial information is presented clearly, consistently, and on time.  
  • Assists with specialized and complex assignments.

Requirements:

  • Bachelor degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or closely related discipline.  Experience in lieu of a degree will also be considered.
  • Can-do attitude, with at least 5 years of closely related work experience.
  • Knowledge of finance, accounting, and cost control principles including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. 

Desirable Qualifications:

  • Experience with NAV, Adaptive Planning and Vintrace strongly desirable. 
  • Experience in manufacturing (including but not limited to wine industry) accounting highly desirable.
  • Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.
  • Proven effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing, working with various levels throughout an organization.

Compensation and Benefits:

  • This is a full-time, salaried position
  • Competitive compensation depending on experience plus benefits including medical, dental and vision coverage, paid time off and 401(k).

About WineTalent:  WineTalent is a wine industry focused recruitment company. We work closely with our clients and our job seekers to find the right fit of talents, experience and work environment. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.  

Please email resume and all inquiries to amy@winetalent.net  

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job


Wednesday, November 4, 2020

WineTalent Classifieds: Senior Financial Analyst in the Napa Valley




WineTalent is working with our client, Far Niente Family of Wineries and Vineyards, on a Senior Financial Analyst role within the Napa Valley.

About the Company:  Far Niente is a group of well-respected wineries and sustainably grown vineyards.  The six wine brands have widespread distribution and a strong direct-to-consumer business.  

About the Position:  The Senior Financial Analyst is responsible for the day-to-day analytical support for the company’s sales divisions and overall wine operations. This position requires ethical conduct and thoroughness in conjunction with critical thinking, attention to detail and strong time management skills.  





Responsibilities:  
  • Support budgeting, forecasting and longer-term planning processes by providing revenue and cost inputs, including drivers and assumptions for various channels and products
  • Assist in tracking consolidated cased goods inventory reporting
  • Track marketing metrics to help measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
  • Serve as interface between 3rd party data providers and develop, maintain and identify inaccuracies for daily dashboards
  • Perform ad hoc analysis of daily business issues and provide sales support for the company
  • Analyze and explain variances and prepare reporting package and presentation for monthly Management financial review
  • Proactively analyze profitability trends - evaluating revenue, cost of goods sold and operational expenses and make recommendations to various teams
  • Ability to navigate the three-tier system, recognize depletion trends and evaluate pricing
  • Ability to organize and efficiently manipulate large data sets in Excel
  • Work extended hours during peak times

Requirements:
  • BS/BA in finance or business-related discipline
  • Minimum of three years of increasingly responsible experience in a sales finance role with financial planning/analytics and modeling experience
  • Experience in budgeting/forecasting and explaining a P&L
  • Proficiency in Targit is a strong preference. Familiarity with Adaptive and NAV are highly desirable
  • Advanced computer skills, especially in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word
  • Successful candidate will be a very motivated self-starter and be able to work without daily guidance

Desirable Qualifications:
  • Strategic thinker with highly competent analytical skills 
  • Versatile, flexible, and willing to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm
  • Positive, energetic, engaging and able to maintain composure under pressure
  • Team-oriented professional who is willing to help and support others in their work to contribute to the overall success of the Company 
  • Detail oriented, with ability to perform work accurately and thoroughly
  • Curious and pro-active in recognizing trends and able to recommend action-oriented insights
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
  • Prioritizes and balances workload to respond to new reporting and data requests
  • Service orientation - maintains collaborative relationships with multi-functional teams while managing relationships and expectations of management and their various team members

Compensation and Benefits:
  • This is a full-time, salaried position
  • Competitive compensation depending on experience plus benefits including medical, dental and  vision coverage, paid time off and 401(k).

About WineTalent:  WineTalent is a wine industry focused recruitment company. We work closely with our clients and our job seekers to find the right fit of talents, experience and work environment. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.

Please email resume and all inquiries to amy@winetalent.net  

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job

Friday, October 16, 2020

WineTalent Classifieds: Information Technology Manager

 
WineTalent is working with our confidential client on an Information Technology Manager role in the Napa Valley.

About the Company:  Our client is a well-respected and long-established winery in the Napa Valley.  The company has several brands with widespread distribution and a strong direct-to-consumer business.  

About the Position:  The IT Manager will provide ongoing technical support to staff for all computer problems and manage company’s outsourced IT vendor. Along with the outsourced vendor, the IT Manager will manage company-wide hardware and application infrastructure.  This role will provide support for the implementation of new digital platforms, including vendor selection and project management.

Responsibilities:

Primary point-of-contact to third-party IT support company.

Day-to-day oversight of systems and troubleshooting of issues.  On the ground hardware and software support for all company computer users. 

Installs and maintains servers, desktop computers, notebook computers, smart phones, peripherals, printers, etc. Keeps current inventory of all devices and maintains current licenses.

Maintains working knowledge of cybersecurity threats, and ensures company has appropriate protections in place.

Works with third-party vendor to select, configure and install all software, including upgrades to existing software.

Standardization of business software across the organization.

Creates and maintains batch files, drive mappings, login scripts, and menus in order to provide appropriate secure user access to applications and data. 

Oversight of the entire network infrastructure, with responsibilities that include server upkeep, security upgrades, planning all infrastructure upgrades or changes, managing contracts with vendors, and managing the IT department's budget.

Managing the development, maintenance and technical support of the network, servers, telecom and operating systems including external application contractors.

Ensures connectivity of monitoring and alarm lines.  

Manages and maintains all communications systems used throughout organization.

Collaboration with all departments to determine technology needs, to ensure problems are resolved swiftly and completely, and to understand the business IT needs of each department.

Requirements:

Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related discipline.  Work experience in lieu of a degree will also be considered.

4+ years of IT support work experience in a similar sized company (50 +/- users)

Experience with NAV highly desirable.  

Excellent communication skills and proven ability to work across an organization with many different types of departments.  

Service-oriented, collaborative approach to IT support.

Experience managing new hardware and software implementation projects with attention to budget and timeline.

Innovative team member in a newly created position with a flexible, can-do attitude to ensure current IT needs of company and departments are met and future needs are anticipated and planned for.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried position

Competitive compensation depending on experience plus benefits including medical, dental and vision coverage, paid time off and 401(k).

About WineTalent:  WineTalent is a wine industry focused recruitment company. We work closely with our clients and our job seekers to find the right fit of talents, experience and work environment. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.

Please email resume and all inquiries to amy@winetalent.net  

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job



Thursday, October 15, 2020

WineTalent Classifieds: Cost Accountant in the Napa Valley

WineTalent is working with our confidential client on a Cost Accountant role within the Napa Valley.


About the Company:  Our client is a well-respected and long-established winery in the Napa Valley.  The company has several brands with widespread distribution and a strong direct-to-consumer business.  


About the Position:  The Cost Accountant will apply the principles of accounting to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports by compiling information, preparing account reconciliations, and utilizing appropriate accounting control procedures.  The Cost Accountant provides accounting support in inventory, COGS reporting and analysis, account reconciliations, monthly close activities and end of year accounting resolution. 


Responsibilities:  

  • Assists in month-end accounting close by performing accurate and timely completion of assigned financial close activities. 
  • Performs complex analysis functions, reviews sub-ledger transactions and posts entries to general ledger accounts. 
  • Responsible for the preparation of more complex account reconciliation and analysis.
  • Perform analysis and forecasts on project and operational production costs.  
  • Recommends and supports improvement opportunities and/or risks based on review and analysis of variances. 
  • Develop and report key metrics to senior management. 
  • Applies cost principles to analyze project costs and reconcile variances.
  • Supports audit and regulatory requests, generates ad hoc analyses reports ensuring needed financial information is presented clearly, consistently, and on time.  
  • Assists with specialized and complex assignments.


Requirements:

  • Bachelor degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or closely related discipline.  Experience in lieu of a degree will also be considered.

  • Can-do attitude, with at least 5 years of closely related work experience.

  • Knowledge of finance, accounting, and cost control principles including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. 


Desirable Qualifications:

  • Experience with NAV, Adaptive Planning and Vintrace strongly desirable. 

  • Experience in manufacturing (including but not limited to wine industry) accounting highly desirable.

  • Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.

  • Proven effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing, working with various levels throughout an organization.


Compensation and Benefits:

  • This is a full-time, salaried position

  • Competitive compensation depending on experience plus benefits including medical, dental and vision coverage, paid time off and 401(k).


About WineTalent:  WineTalent is a wine industry focused recruitment company. We work closely with our clients and our job seekers to find the right fit of talents, experience and work environment. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.


WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job


Apply today: Email resume to amy@winetalent.net


Monday, October 5, 2020

2020 Wine Business Monthly Salary Survey

The 2020 Wine Business Monthly's Salary Survey can be viewed here:  https://www.winebusiness.com/wbm/?go=getDigitalIssue&issueId=12250&dataId=236464&recentArticleRedirect=true

Keep in mind that the salary information was put together in February 2020, right before the pandemic brought many businesses to a standstill.  Since then the pandemic has had a dramatic effect on employment in the wine industry, as well as many other industries. 

I was happy to see the information on gender pay in the wine industry.  Western Management Group is the company that puts together the salary survey data.  The company also does surveys for many industries, and this year the data was broken down by gender.  On page 75, Donna Bowman, survey director  of Western Management Group, notes that "wine has the best looking chart of anybody.  It's almost comparable pay.  They're really doing a good job as an industry to make sure the pay is comparable.  There's still room for improvement, but the wine industry is always a star performer."  

Let's keep on improving.  The job outlook will keep on improving and we'll be getting back to business soon.  

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Book Review: The Sun is a Compass by Caroline Van Hemert

Getting out into nature is my favorite way to recharge.  I like to pedal along local trails, paddle in our local waterways and hike or run in the hills whenever possible.  But I've never thought to self power myself over 4,000 miles of North America's wildest areas.  The Sun is a Compass is Caroline Van Hemert's story about the trip she and her husband made from Bellingham, Washington north to the Arctic Ocean and backdown through the Brooks Range to Kotzebue, Alaska. Their 4,000 mile trek included miles paddled in their custom crafted, handmade rowboats and long stretches of remote landscape hiked or skied in Canada and Alaska.                                                                                                                                   

Caroline is a native Alaskan, and is an intrepid traveler.  She also set out on this trip after finishing her Ph.D. dissertation in ornithology.  Through the story, Caroline weaves in stories of the birds she sees during the trip, giving glimpses of the birds' journeys and the effects climate change is having on their futures.  On a journey of this magnitude, birds sometimes were the only wildlife the pair would see for days, and they were always a welcome sight for Caroline.

To travel to the areas the couple did took extensive planning.  For months they were pouring over maps, guidebooks and consulting others about the trip.  My favorite statement about how big an undertaking this was is when Caroline sees the topographical maps her husband, Pat, taped on the wall, and they are tilting crookedly.  This irritates her.  Pat's response shows just what a big undertaking this was.  The tilting wasn't due to him sloppily taping up maps, but due to the curvature of the earth.  "The scale is that big"

Planning also involved packing up supply boxes of food that would be dropped off for them along the route.  This is a journey of endurance, and their food supplies were full of high calorie, easily prepared, often dehydrated foods.  The resupply boxes were always a welcome sight for the pair after traveling hundred of miles.  The hardest wait comes for a resupply box in the Noatak Valley.  Caroline and her husband arrive and expect the supply box to be delivered after they call the pilot.  But when they call on their satellite phone, weather conditions have the plane grounded.  Day after day passes, with the couple losing energy and nearing starvation.  The sight of that plane on the 5th day was euphoric, and the items in that box were quickly eaten until they were sated.  

Caroline and her husband have some magical sightings of animals.  They also have memorable interactions with people during their trip.  My favorite story is of Ricky who lives in a 140-square foot house in Noatak Valley.  Of course when you are the only person in the middle of nowhere, when two travelers set foot near you, you welcome them in, warm them up, feed them and trade stories.  Ricky was a remarkable man, one of several personalities they meet during the trip.  

This book proved to be a great escape from the recent smoky, hot air we've been experiencing on the West coast.  Well written and very informative.  Take the journey and read this book.  

Monday, September 14, 2020

Book Review: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

  

What happens when a botanist gets her hand on a book about the meaning of flowers?  She gets one of her quickest reads in years.  

The Book:  The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh is a novel about young Victoria, a girl who is in the foster care system in the San Francisco Bay Area.  The story follows her life from her adolescent years as a foster child, through her emancipation from foster care on to her young adult years.  Victoria was given up as an infant, and she then bounced around the foster care system for 18 years.  The descriptions of her experiences in various potential adoption situations, followed by her life as an adolescent and teen in group homes vividly portrays what many children in the foster care system experience.  

The story may resonate with me because it is set in San Francisco and in the North Coast viticultural area of California.  Victoria lives most of her childhood within the San Francisco Bay Area.  Her life really changes when a vineyard owner becomes her guardian.  The vineyard owner, Elizabeth, farms her own land and welcomes young Victoria into her home and teaches her all about grape growing.  Elizabeth also has an extensive lexicon of flowers, knowing the meaning of each flower in the garden.  Elizabeth finds an apt pupil in Victoria, and they form their own language of flowers during their evolving relationship.  

Victoria is a strong willed, and sometimes violent child who has a hard time finding a family that will become her adopted family.  She is taken in by Elizabeth, and almost becomes Elizabeth's daughter, but it doesn't happen.  You see the relationship build, but also how it is marred during their time together.  

Once Victoria turns 18 she is no longer a ward of the state, and she has to find her own way in the world.  Homeless in a park, she finds a job at a flower shop after she wows the owner with the exquisite and meaningful bouquets she presents to her.  Victoria is a natural florist, and can find the perfect flowers for every customer, for every situation and for every need.  Quickly she is indispensable at the flower shop and she is starting to establish herself as an adult in San Francisco.

Victoria does fall in love with someone who understands her affection for flowers.  They form a solid relationship.  All relationships are fraught with problems and misunderstandings, this one is no different.  The relationship is severed, suddenly, by Victoria, and you wonder how she is going to keep herself together.

Reconciliation does happen, on Victoria's terms, and her future happiness is probable.  Reading this story, I really appreciate that Vanessa Diffenbaugh does not paint a portrait of innocence and victimhood in her descriptions of Victoria.  She shows Victoria's faults as well as her talents.  

The Botany:  This book talks about flowers and their meanings.  In Victorian times (it should be noted that our main character is Victoria) flowers and their secret meanings were used to communicate messages between people.  Flowers continue to communicate messages now.  Here are the flowers and their messages that I'm interpreting this this summer:  

Fennel = Strength.  Fennel is growing with abandon in my garden this year.  I spied a flock of goldfinches pecking out fennel seed yesterday, and fennel is a great habitat for Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars.

Grapevine = Abundance.  With the grapevines being laden with fruit right now, you can see the abundance around you.

Oregano = Joy.  I have planted oregano in every incarnation of it this spring.  Variegated, Greek, Italian.  I hope it brings a lot of joy to my household.

Sage = Good Health and a Long Life.  My sages this year have been so drought tolerant and are thriving everywhere I have them in the garden.  I hope it signals good health and a long life for my family during the pandemic and afterwards.

Wheat = Prosperity.  At the beginning of the pandemic my straw bale sprouted and a small crop of wheat was soon flourishing by my compost pile.  

Scarlet Pimpernel = Change.  Every spring this flower finds itself in my garden, along my walkways and places where I least expect it.  I have a new patch of it coming up in a recently planted flowerbed.  I hope this brings good change.  We could all use it.  

Definitely a well written book.  The Language of Flowers was a fun discovery. 

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Time to Polish Up Your Resume: Ideas, Resources, Templates

With little warning, the pandemic has thrown many people into job search mode.  Many of my readers are finding themselves starting over, looking for a job, any job.  To have a fighting chance at landing a suitable position, now's the time to get the job hunt going in full force.  First item of business:  Get your resume updated.  

I've often written about how to make a great resume.  I do think you can write your own resume, and here's how.   I've also compiled my other resume writing advice here

To get started, use a resume template.  Some good ones I've mentioned in the past are on Canva.com.  Recently I have learned about Resume Genius.  They have some great templates and also information about how to write your resume, what to put on it, and how to format it.  I enjoyed their advice on The One Page Resume and The Two Page Resume.  I'm a fan of a one pager, but know that it is tough for an experienced professional to get everything on one page, so I'll concede to a two page resume if completely necessary, just make sure the first page counts!  And don't have the dreaded one-and-about-a-half-page resume.  If you need two pages, fill both pages up.

Not everyone is up for writing their own resume.  With COVID, resume writers are coming out of the woodwork, and plenty of them aren't worth the fee they charge you for a mediocre resume.  Robin Ryan wrote a great article for Forbes Careers about how to avoid getting duped when hiring a resume writer.  Robin is a resume writer, and encourages you to do your homework on the person who will be making your prime marketing piece for your next career move.   

Robin recommends finding a resume writer who has strong referrals, someone who has hiring and work experience in your industry, and someone who takes the time to learn about you and turns around the resume to you in a timely manner.  

Robin also wrote about five resumes mistakes to avoid.  This was all spot on with what I experience with resumes.  While taking her advice, here's another great article from Rebecca Henninger of the Forbes Coaches Council about what your resume should look like in 2020.  

If you find yourself out of a job, treat your job hunt like a job.  Have daily tasks, work with your professional network, and stay on top of industry news.  And keep on keeping on.  If there was ever a time when people will understand that you are job hunting, now is the time.

And don't forget to send me your new resume!






Thursday, August 20, 2020

WineTalent Classifieds: Viticulturist in the Salinas Valley

WineTalent is working with our client, Scheid Family Wines, to find a Viticulturist to manage the company’s vineyard farming and viticulture practices. 
About the Company:  Scheid Family Wines is a family owned and operated vineyard and winery with 11 estate vineyards on over 4,000 acres in the Salinas Valley.  Scheid Family Wines is committed to farming the highest quality grapes.  All of the vineyards are certified sustainable by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.
About the Position:  The Viticulturist manages the Scheid Family Wines vineyard farming and viticulture practices. The Viticulturist collaborates and works closely with vineyard management and the viticulture team. This individual will utilize their technical viticulture expertise and solid agricultural techniques to promote vine health and sustainability, crop yield and the quality of the fruit that is produced. The Viticulturist maintains and continues to develop Scheid Family Wines’ commitment to sustainable farming practices.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Manage the Scheid Family Wines (SFW) vineyard farming and viticulture practices including the following:
  • Establish and manage mechanical based precision viticulture programs and farming
  • Collaborate on the planning and budgeting, implement the plan and manage the costs
  • Oversee pruning, tying, shoot thinning, shoot positioning, trellis and canopy manipulation, suckering, weed control, cultivation, crop estimation, crop thinning, irrigation scheduling, nutrition, pest and fungicide management and harvest coordination
  • Coordinate and implement training and education for ranch managers and vineyard labor force regarding education of basic viticulture, mechanical farming, and precision agriculture techniques
  • Active member of the viticulture team providing input from core competencies such as vine nutrition, pest management and other inputs that strengthen the team’s approach to farming decisions.
  • Develop and implement nutrition programs and validate results through petiole analysis and other diagnostic processes
  • Collaborate with viticulture and technology teams to establish data flows in a Precision Agriculture management setting, turning data into action
  • Support key seasonal data collection efforts, including crop estimations
  • Continued development of the viticulture program documents
  • Develop and implement pest prevention programs including soil borne pests, mealy bugs, mites, leaf hopper, fungicides, Botrytis, Eutypa and other related diseases
  • Manage trial blocks and experimental varieties and techniques
  • Trial blocks for quality enhancements
  • Nutrition trials and all trials that are advancing wine quality
  • Work directly with the winemaking team in establishment of specific wine quality needs relative to mechanical viticulture and precision agriculture.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
  • BS or MA Degree in viticulture, plant science, horticulture, agronomy or related discipline
  • 3 to 5 years viticulture experience or combination with directly related vineyard experience
  • Experience with vineyard operations, farming, or related agricultural experience a plus

REQUIRED SKILLS
  • PCA license or ability to gain a PCA license within the first 12 months preferred
  • Demonstrated solid knowledge of viticulture practices
  • Strong partnering skills and ability to work with a team
  • Computer skills including MS Office, and practical competence with agriculture-oriented computer applications
  • Rudimentary understanding of winemaking to assist with understanding winegrowing goals and fruit/wine quality grading
  • Ability to work overtime (extended hours and weekends) as required
  • Ability to understand any and all safety requirements
  • Clean DMV record

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
  • This is a full-time, salaried position.
  • Competitive compensation depending on experience plus benefits including medical, dental and 401K

About WineTalent:  WineTalent is a wine industry focused recruitment company. We work closely with our clients and our job seekers to find the right fit of talents, experience and work environment. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.

Please email resume and all inquiries to amy@winetalent.net  

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

WineTalent Classifieds: Estate Director for Luxury Santa Barbara Winery

 WineTalent is working with our Santa Barbara Winery Client to find an Estate Director.


About the company: WineTalent’s client is a luxury estate winery producing highly sought-after wines from a highly regarded AVA. The winery has a stellar team including an estate Vineyard Manager, Winemaker and a world-renowned consulting winemaker. Join the team in an important role that is integral to the success of the winery. 


About the opportunity: WineTalent is seeking an Estate Director to oversee the sales and marketing of the business to increase the brand awareness with consumers and trade professionals.


Responsibilities:

  • Provide day-to-day and longer-term general management leadership to the business.
  • Lead the sales and marketing activities to position the brand in the luxury product arena.
  • Accountable for winery's revenue, expenses and profitability.
  • Oversee marketing initiatives to ensure increased customer engagement including winery visits, wine club membership and wine purchases.
  • Manage wholesale sales including strategic initiatives.
  • Emphasize direct trade selling with all staff.
  • Manage outsourced consultants in digital, social marketing and content development.
  • Create routine and specific reporting to keep ownership engaged with business developments and performance.
  • Ensure sales and marketing plans match production levels and budgeted revenue generation.
  • Consistently deliver high touch consumer engagement across all channels.
  • Management of human and financial resources.


What the Job Requires:

  • Senior level management experience in a wine focused business.
  • At least 3 years of winery experience in a management, hospitality, and marketing role.
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Communications, Marketing or related is strongly preferred. Work history in lieu of a degree will also be considered.
  • Extensive wine business experience to create successful plans, budgets, forecasts and initiatives for the winery.
  • Thorough understanding of DTC and wholesale sales channels.
  • Strong communication skills.
  • Proven personnel management to ensure collaborative team environment.
  • Luxury product and/or lifestyle marketing experience.


About WineTalent: WineTalent is a wine industry focused recruitment company. We work closely with our clients and our job seekers to find the right fit of talents, experience and work environment.


WineTalent: The Right People for the Job


All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential


To apply please email your resume to amy@winetalent.net   

Friday, August 7, 2020

When Living in the Era of COVID, Pack a Picnic

Everything I do now is premeditated.  If I'm planning to go to the store. I have to think about what hours are the least crowded, what I need, is there anything I need to stock up on, and do I have a mask?  If I want to go for a hike I have to think about things like when are the fewest people on the trail, do I need a mask, do I have a snack and water since any snack bar or kiosk may be closed?  And don't even get me started on public bathrooms.  I'm really tired from having to think through all these small details before I do anything.  It's enough to keep me home.  BUT I NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!  

Being in the wine world, marketing has often shown beautiful people enjoying picnics in the vineyards.  Companies in wine country specialize in making and delivering gourmet picnic baskets for tourists to enjoy at the location of their choice.  Having picnicking spots has made some wineries hugely successful (especially this one in the Napa Valley).  

Reading Julia Child's autobiography, My Life In France, she and her husband, Paul, greatly enjoyed packing a picnic basket and a thermos of coffee before heading out over the French countryside for the day.  And their picnic was often accompanied by a nice bottle of wine.  Thinking of Julia and Paul relaxing along a waterway or near a beautiful old castle has been seared into my mind for years.  

Having worked from home for over 16 years now, during my lunch break I often watch cooking shows.  Years ago Michael Chiarello had his Easy Entertaining cooking show on Food Network.  I caught his Biking Picnic, and learned how to make a delicious grilled chicken sandwich to throw in my bike's pannier for a roadside picnic.  For years I made the sandwich, thinking of having a bike picnic.  When life gives me a pandemic, I pack my picnic basket. 

To GET OUT OF THE HOUSE I've been coordinating cycling trips with my pod posse.  My friends and I synchronize our watches and all show up at a predetermined spot early the next morning.  Unloading bikes, getting sunblocked and then clicking shoes into our pedals, we are soon exploring new areas.  This cycling posse has turned into a great group of friends who all enjoy getting out in the sunshine and seeing new sights.  They are also all good conversationalists, a bonus when pedaling together for a few hours.  

Cycling in the era of a pandemic has meant that afterwards we can't stop by the local cafe or brewery to grab lunch and a cold drink.  Here's where the picnic comes in.  We all bring something to contribute and bring out our coolers after the ride.  We've been enjoying submarine sandwiches, lavash rolled sandwiches, muffins, fresh fruit and cookies.  Washing those down with a cold local brew really makes the meal.  Being outside on a picnic blanket with friends, socially distanced, makes this pandemic a bit easier to digest.  

I'm finding that picnicking really scratches that communal dining itch I've been suffering from these days.  I hope you go get yourself a pic-a-nic basket sometime soon.   




Friday, July 17, 2020

Book Review: Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl


This past weekend found me sitting in a tiny collapsible REI Flexlite chair by Loon Lake in the Desolation Wilderness, catching up on my reading.  First I plowed through three months of Wine Spectators.  Then my backlog of Food & Wine.  What a culture shock to read these glossy mags while avoiding COVID in the beauty of the wilderness.  The magazines were published both before we were ordered to shelter in place and after we were reeling from the changes the virus has foisted on all of us.  The older magazines were filled with alluring photos of travel, restaurants and posh wine and food events in major tourist destinations.   The more current issues were discussing how COVID was changing the hospitality industry and how we are managing our day-to-day activities. 

Escaping to the wilderness was heavenly.  Being in the great outdoors, breathing clean pine-scented air while taking in sweeping vistas recharged me.  It allowed me to forget about the very real issue of the resurgence of COVID back home.  Thank goodness! 

Reading food and wine magazines while car camping was also a juxtaposition.  Warming bratwurst on a stick is fun and delicious, when you are camping.  Looking at tempting desserts made by world class chefs was downright awful.  I'd love to have a chocolate mousse right there while reading my magazines, but had to settle for a s'more.  That is what camping does for you--brings you back to the things that matter, and forces you to enjoy the big picture and the little things too.

While camping I also was able to finish Ruth Reichl's book, Garlic and Sapphires.  I have thoroughly enjoyed her other books; Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples.  Ruth has a great way of talking about her lifetime relationship with food with a healthy dash of recipes and a good helping of humor and humility.  Garlic and Sapphires recounts Ruth's time as the restaurant critic for The New York Times.  During her tenure there she was reviewing many world renowned restaurants, both at their nascent stage and also ones that had become New York institutions.  She became a mistress of disguise, putting on different characters to dine incognito at restaurants that were on the lookout for The Times critic.  Her tales of the personas she adopted, her friends' and family's reaction to these new women and the descriptions of the meals she had are hilarious. 

Garlic and Sapphires was published in 2005.  Reading her stories is still as current as ever, but there are some glaring historical incidents that have occurred since the book was written.  Ruth does occasionally reference the World Trade Center bombing.  She is referring to the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing.  This comes to light when she recounts her visiting Windows on the World in the World Trade Center.  Windows on the World was a destination restaurant for many wine lovers.  The wine director there, Kevin Zraly, taught many people about wine in his Windows of the World Wine School.  Reading about Windows on the World and the wines that Ruth drank there made me yearn for that restaurant, even if her final review was only one star. 

To read Garlic and Sapphires in this new, historically-significant era was both comforting and thought provoking.  Food and wine will always bring people together.  Right now we can't be together.  But we shall overcome our current viral pandemic, and get to enjoy food, wine, libations, family and friends again, together, in the near future.  And yes, I'll still be camping as often as possible.

Garlic and Sapphires:  ****  (four stars!)

Ironically, while reading Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth was also profiled in Food & Wine.  It was fun to get her current comments about her career and the culinary world.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Winery Intern Positions Job Board

Wineries need good interns for the 2020 harvest.  If you are looking for a job, would enjoy learning how wine is made, and are ready to work hard with great people, visit the Napa Valley Vintners job board:  https://napavintners.com/wineries/harvest-interns-needed.asp


Job Board Created for Napa Valley Wineries Hiring this Harvest Season

7/15/2020 - St. Helena, CA – The Napa Valley Vintners has launched a matchmaking webpage that connects job seekers with Napa Valley winemaking teams looking to hire this harvest season.  
In a typical year, Napa Valley’s harvest intern positions are largely sought out by international applicants. With the interruption of international travel, and freeze on J-1 educational exchange visas related to Covid-19, winemakers are optimistic that workforce needs will be filled by local talent.    
More than 25 Napa Valley wineries are currently seeking interns, and hopto attract workers who want to deepen their wine knowledge or wish to explore a career in winemaking. 
“A harvest internship provides an opportunity to learn about every aspect of wine production and can be helpful for those considering a career in winemaking as well as for those in related industries,” said Matt Reid, winemaker at Benessere Vineyards.  
“Understanding the process of winemaking can yield insights that are helpful to many careers. For example, a wine buyer can ask better-informed questions, or a sommelier can better describe how a wine was produced,” said Reid. 
While prior cellar experience is not necessarythere are several character traits that winemakers agree are essential to working a harvest.  
“Those that have the highest aptitude for the work typically possess a maniacal attention to detail, a tireless work ethic, and the ability to meet adverse situations head onall while keeping an upbeat attitude,” said Josh Widamanwinemaker at Lewis Cellars. 
For those who might wonder what role a harvest intern plays, Widaman said, “Every task that they complete is integral to the making of wine. We hope that they will leave here with an in-depth knowledge of the complete process from dirt to glass. 
Applicants are encouraged to explore job postings at https://napavintners.com/wineries/harvest-interns-needed.asp 
About the Napa Valley Vintners 
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its 550 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com.
Contact: Teresa Wall, Senior Director of Marketing Communications - 707-968-4210, twall@napavintners.com