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Enologists


Overview

Introduction

Enologists, also known as wine makers and vintners, direct and manage most activities of a winery, including planting grapes and producing, storing, and shipping wine. They select the type of grapes grown and supervise workers in the production process from harvesting to fermenting, aging, and bottling. Enologists work with different varieties of grapes in a type or species to develop the strongest and most flavorful wines.

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$59,000

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Employment Prospects

Good

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Minimum Education Level

Apprenticeship
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Experience

Entry-level or part-time experience in a winery


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Skills

Business Management
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Personality Traits

Conventional
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Earnings

Salaries for wine-making professionals ranged from a low of $35,000 for cellar workers to highs of more than $200,000 for top winemakers and other executives at some larger wineries, according to a survey of the wine industry by Wine Business Monthly in 2019. Assistant winemaker is a typical position for an enology graduate with a few years experience. Median salaries in this position ...

Work Environment

Enologists work mostly indoors, with some outdoor activities in a vineyard. Enologists enjoy variety in their jobs as they constantly alternate between analyzing the grapes in the field, assessing the development of wines, studying current production techniques, planning marketing strategies for the upcoming harvest, and performing other duties. Physical labor such as lifting a 40-pound wine ca...

Outlook

Job growth is tied to the size and quality of grape harvests, the success of wine production, and the foreign and domestic demand for American wines. Technological advances in wine production may create more job opportunities. U.S. wine export revenue increased from $674 million in 2005 to more than $1.46 billion in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

However, it is impos...