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So basically, I have been living and working in NYC the last few years, and I'm about to receive a master's and have very little interest working in my field (or at least, I'm unwilling to do the bureaucratic and administrative drudgery necessary to succeed in it). So many organizations and jobs in my field seem utterly pointless and unrewarding. I have friends in wine management and I may have the opportunity to go out west (starting as an intern) this summer and then into harvest season. I've always desired to have a job that takes me outside my own head and away from a computer screen, as well as allowing the head space to work on my own writing. I'm not opposed to hard work at all (I crave it, really), and I have no illusions about the 12 hour, 7 day a week job during harvest season. But is this something I can rely on for a steady income if I eventually prove myself valuable and reliable, year after year? I don't want to go back to school to get any kind of training or certification to become a vintner (I'll be in debt as it is), but I can see myself expanding more into the management, import/export, strategy, etc. I'd like to start from the ground up, though. Any input/advice would be appreciated!
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Jan 31, 2015 18:19
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| # ? May 3, 2024 06:35 |
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Do it. Try a vintage and see how you like it. Harvest is hard. The hours are long, hot and backbreaking. My advice would be to start on a few months before. You can learn a lot about viticulture by observing the pre-harvest practices in the vineyard and cellar. I'm not from the US, so I don't know what the pay is like. I'd imagine pretty bad. If you want to make momey working outside, there are probably better fields to work in. But viticulture is a field where you can learn a lot in a short period of time. In my experience, your most skilled workers are pruners, though. Pruning and trellising are skills worth learning and you should consider falling in in time for pruning. Usually pruning will take place in late winter/early spring. Also consider that table grapes have the highest labour input for quality purposes and that industry usually pays the best. Of course, once you decide that vineyard work is for you, you should consider doing vintages in the Southern Hemisphere. Apparently the Australians pay experienced viticulture workers a packet, so that might be an avenue worth exploring. Edit: just realised that you said you were in debt already. Listen. Outside work, unless you are incredibly experienced in a management role, will not solve your problems. By all means try it on for a season, as I said, you will learn skills. I don't know what you're qualified in, but perhaps there's some way to incorporate your existing skills in the wine business/ grapevine business once you know a bit more about it? Phaeoacremonium fucked around with this message at 10:09 on Feb 1, 2015 |
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Feb 1, 2015 06:21
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Atican posted:So basically, I have been living and working in NYC the last few years, and I'm about to receive a master's and have very little interest working in my field (or at least, I'm unwilling to do the bureaucratic and administrative drudgery necessary to succeed in it). Coming out West to work in a vineyard sounds like a grand idea. Why not? Do it for a summer and you'll make a little cash, meet some interesting people and get some perspective. Bring your sunblock!
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Feb 3, 2015 01:57
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Atican posted:So basically, I have been living and working in NYC the last few years, and I'm about to receive a master's and have very little interest working in my field (or at least, I'm unwilling to do the bureaucratic and administrative drudgery necessary to succeed in it). So many organizations and jobs in my field seem utterly pointless and unrewarding. I have friends in wine management and I may have the opportunity to go out west (starting as an intern) this summer and then into harvest season. I've always desired to have a job that takes me outside my own head and away from a computer screen, as well as allowing the head space to work on my own writing. I'm not opposed to hard work at all (I crave it, really), and I have no illusions about the 12 hour, 7 day a week job during harvest season. But is this something I can rely on for a steady income if I eventually prove myself valuable and reliable, year after year? I don't want to go back to school to get any kind of training or certification to become a vintner (I'll be in debt as it is), but I can see myself expanding more into the management, import/export, strategy, etc. I'd like to start from the ground up, though. Already been said that harvest is back breaking and most likely poo poo pay. It's worth doing if you want to get an idea about winemaking. The pruning is extremely important post harvest work as it relates to the number of bunches you get and the quality. Of course I'm not an expert on wine making (even though I plan to buy a vineyard and make my own wines in about a decade or less). Starting from the ground up is good but without some knowledge in wine making and tasting it may be tough to get to a pay range to help pay your debts. I do have a cousin who did a 3 year degree and he is a vintner but he started his own label. He has established a number of deals and has been producing six digits worth of wine with his 2011 vintage selling for $300 per bottle. If you just want to work at a vineyard just do it but it's all seasonal work unless you join a large company where you can work in other areas of the company (sales/marketing/accounts) until harvest time. Get a degree if you want to run your own vineyard or to pick up a specialised job. That said the two posts above are good advice that you should consider. e: I'm in the southern hemisphere but I don't know what the pay rates are like in big vineyards but I know they have a lot of money when they have a good season due to the engineering work involved.
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Feb 3, 2015 02:23
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I know of one person who interned at a vineyard. He owned a restaurant with his brother, was into wine, and did the intern thing, which included helping with the harvest, as a way of getting more into the wine business. He had several steps up, including family contacts if I remember right. I also know one person who is a wine buyer for a major supermarket. They did this without having to do manual labor. Do you have any sales experience/desire? Do you like wine or is this just something to do? If you want to get into the business, working for a summer might be a nice story, as every one in the wine business seems to wax eloquently about wine and terroir, but if you aren't that into wine it may just be no different than a summer spent doing farm work.
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Feb 3, 2015 03:06
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Atican posted:I've always desired to have a job that takes me outside my own head and away from a computer screen, as well as allowing the head space to work on my own writing. I'm not opposed to hard work at all (I crave it, really), and I have no illusions about the 12 hour, 7 day a week job during harvest season. How do you reconcile these two things in your head? Writing is typically a pursuit of those with the luxury of idleness. How much writing do you honestly think you're going to turn out while busting your rear end as a farm laborer?
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Feb 4, 2015 03:05
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Phaeoacremonium posted:Do it. Try a vintage and see how you like it. Harvest is hard. The hours are long, hot and backbreaking. My advice would be to start on a few months before. You can learn a lot about viticulture by observing the pre-harvest practices in the vineyard and cellar. Thanks for the response. I'm not quite sure what you mean about outside work not solving my problems, but I think any work is at least partly helping to solve the debt problem. I likely wouldn't be making much money as it is, and I wouldn't mind if it simply took longer to pay off the debt if I genuinely enjoyed what I was doing.
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Feb 4, 2015 14:04
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litany of gulps posted:How do you reconcile these two things in your head? Writing is typically a pursuit of those with the luxury of idleness. How much writing do you honestly think you're going to turn out while busting your rear end as a farm laborer? Well, the impression I have is that most of the labor is during harvest season, otherwise the hours working other jobs on a vineyard would be pretty standard. I don't think I have the luxury of idleness no matter what job I end up in depending on your definition of idleness.
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Feb 4, 2015 14:07
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Atican posted:Thanks for the response. I'm not quite sure what you mean about outside work not solving my problems, but I think any work is at least partly helping to solve the debt problem. I likely wouldn't be making much money as it is, and I wouldn't mind if it simply took longer to pay off the debt if I genuinely enjoyed what I was doing. Sorry, it wasn't a very coherent response on my part. I mostly meant to express my reservations about unskilled labour being a good career choice. However, if you're willing to learn and work at it, you won't remain unskilled very long. I'd say bugger the harvest and go right now. If you can survive pruning season, you're made of the right stuff.
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Feb 4, 2015 16:14
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Phaeoacremonium posted:Of course, once you decide that vineyard work is for you, you should consider doing vintages in the Southern Hemisphere. Apparently the Australians pay experienced viticulture workers a packet, so that might be an avenue worth exploring. This is true. I don't know Australia (or the US industry, for that matter) but when I worked a season on a vineyard in New Zealand, it paid well enough for me to save up for my travels around the country over the next 5 months and still have a bit left over when I came back.
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Feb 4, 2015 16:54
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I've been a farmer for about seven years. Not riding in a combine farmer but peasant in the field type. I cannot stress this enough: If you choose to do this get fit at least a few months before you start with a consistent exercise program. It doesn't have to be complicated, running will do the trick, but you'll probably want to throw some full body exercises (deadlifting) in there too. Lose any excess fat you have too, its just extra weight that will slow you down. Oh yeah, sunblock, lots of sunblock. Not the spray crap but the goopy stuff you have to lather into your skin. Get UV resistant clothing as well, including a hat. Invest in a nice pair of UVA/B sunglasses. I don't know how strenuous the labor is but you'll impress people immensely if you come in very fit. Also you'll greatly reduce your chance of injury and enjoy your time there much more. Overall speed and efficiency are by far the most valued traits when harvesting anything by hand. If you think you're going fast enough you probably aren't, watch the other veteran workers and emulate. onemillionzombies fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Feb 4, 2015 |
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Feb 4, 2015 17:46
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I got stuck tying grapes on my uncle's vineyards a lot as a kid and I hope you like spiders.
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Feb 4, 2015 22:29
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Trillian posted:I got stuck tying grapes on my uncle's vineyards a lot as a kid and I hope you like spiders. Oh! Haha! This! And snakes.
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Feb 5, 2015 06:28
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