Vineyard Workers

Job description

Assist with vineyard maintenance with leaf removal, crop thinning, irrigation adjustments, harvesting and sorting, cover crop seeding, pruning, and canopy management for vines and grapes that are typically at a height of 3 to 5 feet. In performing this work, the Vineyard Workers will not engage in hand weeding, hand thinning, or hand hot-capping and will not be stooping, kneeling, or squatting.

Perform precise vine pruning techniques (e.g., Guyot, spur, cordon, or vertical shoot positioning) to balance vigor and yield based on soil vigor mapping and clonal behavior-techniques learned across multiple terroirs from France to New Zealand. Assist with canopy management strategies (leaf pulling, shoot positioning, and green harvesting) according to microclimate variations in the Russian River AVA to optimize sunlight exposure, phenolic development, and disease prevention. Support organic and biodynamic vineyard protocols, including compost application, cover cropping, lunar-influenced tasks, and soil regeneration strategies in line with global best practices. Conduct in-depth fruit sampling and maturity assessments (sugar, acid, tannin ripeness) and advise vineyard teams on optimal pick dates, working closely with winemaking staff to align vineyard and cellar strategy. Apply handling of Italian cultivars (Nebbiolo, Sangiovese) grown in Californian soils, offering insights into phenolic development, acidity retention, and structural balance—based on first-hand experience with these grapes in Italy and internationally.

For background, since the Vineyard Workers will not be hand weeding, hand thinning, or hand hot-capping, and as such, will not be stooping, kneeling, or squatting to do so. Similarly, since they will not be hand weeding, hand thinning, or hand hot-capping, a long-handled hand tool used for these operations shall not be used as a short-handled hand tool in a stooped, kneeling or squatting position. Moreover, since the vines and grapes are typically at the height of 3 to 5 feet, the Vineyard Workers will not be stooping, kneeling, or squatting to perform their responsibilities. In this regard, crop thinning for wine grapes and vines differs significantly from weeding in purpose and practice. Crop thinning involves selectively removing grape clusters or shoots from the vine to improve the quality of the remaining fruit. This process helps balance the vine's energy, ensuring that the grapes that remain can fully ripen, resulting in better concentration of flavors, sugars, and acidity, which are key factors in high-quality wine production. By contrast, weeding focuses on removing unwanted plants from the ground that compete with the grapevines for water, nutrients, and sunlight. While crop thinning enhances the vine’s fruit quality, weeding is about managing the vineyard environment to support overall vine health and productivity. The Vineyard Workers will not be responsible for weeding.

On-the-job training provided. The employer will provide workers at no charge all tools, supplies, and equipment required to perform the job.

Special Requirements

Requires 3 months of experience in any vineyard occupation. Additional training will be provided for 2 days.