A career in wine guarantees that you will be in contact with delicious products and share incredible moments. There are also many jobs in wine that will let every type of profile find a place. In this article, our aim is to introduce you to each wine job in order to help you with your career path or career change. So you will know everything about wine careers!
What are the wine industry careers?
The wine industry is made up of many jobs. It is worth distinguishing between different jobs in the wine sector. So here are the main jobs:
- Production jobs: here you find oenologists, cellar masters, the winemaker, the vineyard manager, the vineyard worker, the cellarman. You can also include the cooper here.
- Customer-facing jobs: made up of the sommelier, the shopkeeper, the sales representative, the distributor, the wine tourism guide, the merchant, the importer and the brand ambassador.
- Business jobs: in which you find the community manager, the events manager, the CSR manager, the marketing manager, the purchasing manager. These jobs are generally done in an office but do not rule out travel.
- Research jobs, in which we naturally find the position of researcher.
Wine production jobs
To start with, production jobs have the advantage of being in contact with nature. Often done outdoors, these wine jobs let you be in contact with the vine and the grape. As a result, you can admire, steer and take part in the production of wine, and therefore in the transformation of grapes into a delicious nectar.
The oenologist: a wine job at the heart of creation
First, the oenologist is the person who leads the creation of the wine. In other words, it is the oenologist who advises the winegrower on the choice of grape varieties, the blending and the ageing. The oenologist is required to taste a lot of wine. To become an oenologist and practise this wine job, you need to obtain the national oenology diploma (DNO) at a master’s level. Finally, an oenologist’s pay varies greatly depending on their experience, the estates they work with and the regions in which they work. A junior oenologist can earn around 2,000 euros a month, while an oenologist who is advanced in their career can earn around 5,000 euros. Naturally, working for a grand cru increases pay. The oenologist is one of the wine jobs that lets you travel.
The cellar master
The cellar master is responsible for the ageing of the wine. As a result, the cellar master works in collaboration with the oenologist. They are responsible for the proper management of the cellar, for following hygiene rules and for the operations on the grapes. They are the one who gives the winemaking instructions. The pace of work for the cellar master is naturally heavier at the time the harvest comes in and up to the end of winemaking. Studying agricultural or agronomy engineering with a specialty in wine can lead to this job.
The winemaker
The winemaker is first and foremost a farmer specialised in the vine. So they are the one who works in the vines. They are in charge of maintaining the soil, the vine and the harvest. The winemaker is, as in all wine jobs, a passionate person who cares deeply about working the vine. You can become a winemaker by following many types of study. To practise this wine job, you can take a vocational certificate (CAP), a higher technician’s certificate (BTS), a vocational baccalaureate or higher studies in agronomy.
The vineyard manager
The vineyard manager is a wine job that is generally found in the largest estates. Their role is to support the winemaker in all of the choices. They organise the work, streamline equipment purchases, handle the logistics during the harvest and manage the estate. A vocational baccalaureate, a BTS or a professional bachelor’s degree can lead to this wine job.
The vineyard worker
The vineyard worker is in charge of maintaining the vine throughout its life cycle. Under the responsibility of the vineyard manager, the vineyard worker carries out all the tasks and operations that allow the vine to develop. They of course take part in the grape harvest during the picking. So the vineyard worker is a wine job in direct contact with the vine and the grape.
The cooper: the wine job for the most hands-on
The cooper practises a profession that has existed for centuries. It involves making and repairing the wooden barrels used in winemaking. This craft job, with its age-old expertise, will be perfect for people wanting to work with wood and make something with their hands. The average salary of a cooper is around 25,000 euros gross per year. There is only one training course to practise this wine job: the cooperage vocational certificate (CAP).
Customer-facing jobs
Do you prefer to be in contact with customers, to try to persuade and talk about wine? Many wine jobs are also made for you.
The sommelier: the wine and food job
The sommelier is the person who advises customers on the choice of their wine, to match the dishes they are eating. So the sommelier has the task of knowing their cellar well, always keeping an eye on new arrivals and tasting often in order to make the best possible selection. The sommelier must also listen to the restaurant’s customers in order to suggest the wine that will satisfy them best. Finally, the sommelier must ensure the proper management of their establishment’s wine cellar. To discover the job of sommelier, you can listen to the interview with Bernard Neveu or with Gabriel Veissaire.
The wine merchant
The wine merchant runs a retail shop in which they sell wine by the bottle. So it is a wine job where you have to listen carefully to customers and constantly look for solutions that suit them best. The wine merchant must also manage their stock and supplies well: that is the key to managing their cellar well.
The sales representative
Employed by a château, the sales representative is in charge of selling the estate’s wine. So this wine job involves making the château’s wine known, getting it tasted and bought by a specific clientele, often professionals in the field. The sales representative is in contact with sommeliers and wine merchants in order to offer them their wine.
The wine tourism guide: a wine job at the heart of the vines
Wine tourism guide is a fast-growing wine job, just like the wine tourism sector in general. The wine tourism guide works for a château or an agency and is in charge of showing an estate to tourists. Having a command of at least one foreign language is clearly an asset for being able to practise this job.
The merchant: a wine job between the estates and the customers
The merchant buys and sells wine. This wine job involves setting up partnerships with châteaux to sell their wine to a specific clientele. The merchant trade is particularly important in Bordeaux with “La place de Bordeaux”, famous for the worldwide reach it provides for the region’s winemakers. To discover the job of merchant, listen to the interview with Emmanuel Coiffe, general manager of Eugen Grand Vin.
The importer
As the name suggests, the importer is based abroad and imports French wines. They have to build important relationships with the various châteaux or with their representatives. To understand the job of importer, listen to the interview with Marie-Dominique Bradford.
The jobs in the shadow of wine
Besides the jobs in contact with the product or the customer, there is an ecosystem around wine that lets many talents find their place. Wine is a complex world (if you are discovering it, head over to the club).
The community manager: a 100% digital wine job
The community manager manages all of a château’s social media. So the community manager is a very versatile wine job. They have to know how to take photos, write, and produce reports. There is no doubt this is a more complex job than it seems, and that you need a very strong sensitivity to wine in order to do it.
The events manager
Wine is surrounded by many events. Whether it is a tasting or an opening to the public, many occasions call for organising an event. So the events manager is a wine job in which you need a strong sense of organisation and a great ability to handle the unexpected.
The CSR manager
For their part, the CSR manager is in charge of ensuring respect for the environment and the development of new initiatives by the château along these lines. Wine is a product of nature, so it must be protected. Note that the CSR manager can also be in charge of certifications such as the organic wine one.
The marketing manager
The marketing manager is a wine job in which you need to be creative. This person is in charge of producing the materials that will be used to promote the estate, ensuring the consistency of communication across the different channels and supporting the sales functions. Needless to say, there is plenty of work!
The purchasing manager
You have to sell the wine, but before that you have to buy many things. So some estates employ a purchasing manager. Their goal is to streamline the château’s purchases and negotiate them as well as possible. Whether it is bottles, farming equipment and many other things, the purchasing manager must ensure the proper management of the estate’s resources.
Research jobs: a wine job in the laboratory
Finally, wine is a world in which a lot of research is developing. There are more than 1,000 different substances in a bottle of wine. So there is no doubt that discoveries are still to come regarding their interaction and composition. Researcher is a wine job that will let you go and discover them and advance science!
Which wine job is right for you?
To help you find your way around all these wine jobs, we have created a little infographic. It should help you make the right choices. It is not an exact science, but maybe you will get an idea of the wine job that is right for you! And because a bit of humour never hurts, do not rely on this image at all, and contact the people who do the job you love. They will be able to answer you perfectly. 
