Greetings from the Sunshine State

[Blue_Angel]

Hello all,

My name is Brandon, I'm currently living in South Florida at the age of 30, and seeking to restart my life by venturing out to California this season. I've worked as a yacht carpenter since going to remote Alaska to work at a fishing lodge, called out there by Bob Ross, that which is closest to Eden, and my DSLR camera. Work has slowed down, so I took to Craigslist to search the nation of my interests.

I am passionate about far too many things, from sourdough and pastry to brewing beer, to two of my personal non-career desires: having a small homestead, and a traditional workshop for luthiery (making classical/acoustic guitars).

Fermentation is a varied field and I settled upon seeking out a wine internship after I typed the old-timey word "apprentice" into Craigslist and happened to find a position available having never thought something like that existed... It's romantic to me, how vineyards are intimately associated with wineries. I truly love beer, but it isn't the same culture as wine, you rarely see a brewery popping up on top of, or adjacent to, a wheat field (been a member of HomeBrewTalk forums for a while).

The first position fell through the cracks because I was "in a different timezone", unfortunately, but ever since that moment I've become totally enamored with winemaking. Currently reading the book "From Vines to Wines" and I'm learning what I can on the internet, of course. I've probably sent out a couple dozen emails at this point and have managed a few hits. Being so far away, and as I will be without a vehicle, housing is the primary concern. I'm looking to make it work even though I decided to pursue this so close to the harvest season. I'm currently trying to find housing via FurnishedFinder wherever I happen to end up. I don't mind having to trek a couple miles on bike or foot.

I do not necessarily know what this lifestyle entails, I am just kind of diving in, nor do I understand where interns head after their 3 months of initial winemaking, since harvest only happens once a year, but I hope to turn this into a career. Might as well consider learning French while I'm at it. I get delirious if I go without pastry for too long.

Enough of my rambling... I enjoy roasting coffee, but I gave it up cold turkey couple months ago, and have slowly reincorporated it every other day at best... It's quite obvious today is one of my caffeinated days!

Cheers

 

[wood1954]

Welcome, if you can access them you might these podcasts of interest.
Inside winemaking
Sustainable winemaking
Vineyard Underground

 

[Snafflebit]

Hi Brandon,

Welcome to WMT. “From Vines to Wines” is an excellent general purpose book for a winemaker. It has a slight East-coast emphasis, which is great for a lot of people on this forum. California growing information is easy to find on the internet. I bet you can find an apprenticeship if you are in the area. Yeah that requires a leap of faith and a move, but I bet with enough searching there is work to be had.

Winebusiness.com has a wine jobs area to research. I like the Inside Winemaking podcast and I attended a class hosted by the author Jim Duane who is wicked smart concerning wine and a general good guy.

 

[Blue_Angel]

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll give them a go. I've been on WineBusiness mostly, the vast majority of the intern positions are in California, maybe a bit of Oregon and Washington. I'm all ready to fly out when the opportunity hits, bags are packed.

 

[sour_grapes]

Welcome aboard!

 

[David Violante]

Welcome to WMT!

 

[Jovimaple]

Welcome to WMT!

 

[Rice_Guy]

welcome to WMT

My two favorite books are Mead Maker by Ken Schram and The New Cider Makers Handbook by Jolicour. These look at wine from the outside so they explain what is missing that one can ignore with grapes.

 

[wineview]

You sure are an ambitious young man. Welcome!

 

[Blue_Angel]

Secured an apprenticeship. Secured housing across the country. Going to buy a flight today and start packing.

 

[Blue_Angel]

Should I already be looking for opportunities elsewhere for once this harvest internship ends? The Southern Hemisphere and abroad?

 

[winemaker81]

Should I already be looking for opportunities elsewhere for once this harvest internship ends? The Southern Hemisphere and abroad?

Do you like what you're doing?

Do you have any reason to NOT broaden your horizons?

If the answers to those questions are (respectively) Yes and No, then do it.

Wine is made in nearly every country in the world. You can go pretty much anywhere.

 

[Blue_Angel]

I would like to broaden my horizons for the first year or two, but at my age, I'm ready to settle down... I'm hoping I can manage to find a winery to work at full time within the next 2-3 years... That would be ideal.

 

[Snafflebit]

When you work a harvest, you meet many people in the industry. I think it is the best way to get your foot in the winery door. Both you and potential employers will know if this job suits you. No one wears all the hats in the wine industry. It could be that you like growing grapes more than making wine.

 

[Blue_Angel]

When you work a harvest, you meet many people in the industry. I think it is the best way to get your foot in the winery door. Both you and potential employers will know if this job suits you. No one wears all the hats in the wine industry. It could be that you like growing grapes more than making wine.

Very true. I don't mean to put the cart before the horse, but it'd be foolish to not at least try and have a game plan or potential course of action, though I know I will have to take it one day at a time. It's a bit overwhelming to move across the country alone and with no idea if I'm just going to have to come back in 3 months... With that said, growing grapes is one of the reasons I'm interested in wine in the first place.

I'm not particularly picky and I'm used to the Florida heat. I don't think there's anything in the industry I wouldn't enjoy, although I'm a bit of a hermit and nerd. Not interested in sales or tasting rooms.

Looking around at farms nearby and at the Oregon border area as well just in case I can secure something between harvests... My lease ends December 1st, so I'd like to figure it out by then.

 

[Ohio Bob]

As with nearly every company trying to manage labor costs, the more jobs you are capable of handling, the more valuable you will be. That might even mean volunteering at one winery as a “pair of hands” while still working your day job in the vineyard. Establishing relationships in the industry is also beneficial. It wouldn’t hurt to put these short term help-outs on your resume. I wouldn’t doubt that regional wineries talk with each other and getting your name into the conversation is a big step forward.

 

[Texas Winer]

Hello all,

My name is Brandon, I'm currently living in South Florida at the age of 30, and seeking to restart my life by venturing out to California this season. I've worked as a yacht carpenter since going to remote Alaska to work at a fishing lodge, called out there by Bob Ross, that which is closest to Eden, and my DSLR camera. Work has slowed down, so I took to Craigslist to search the nation of my interests.

I am passionate about far too many things, from sourdough and pastry to brewing beer, to two of my personal non-career desires: having a small homestead, and a traditional workshop for luthiery (making classical/acoustic guitars).

Fermentation is a varied field and I settled upon seeking out a wine internship after I typed the old-timey word "apprentice" into Craigslist and happened to find a position available having never thought something like that existed... It's romantic to me, how vineyards are intimately associated with wineries. I truly love beer, but it isn't the same culture as wine, you rarely see a brewery popping up on top of, or adjacent to, a wheat field (been a member of HomeBrewTalk forums for a while).

The first position fell through the cracks because I was "in a different timezone", unfortunately, but ever since that moment I've become totally enamored with winemaking. Currently reading the book "From Vines to Wines" and I'm learning what I can on the internet, of course. I've probably sent out a couple dozen emails at this point and have managed a few hits. Being so far away, and as I will be without a vehicle, housing is the primary concern. I'm looking to make it work even though I decided to pursue this so close to the harvest season. I'm currently trying to find housing via FurnishedFinder wherever I happen to end up. I don't mind having to trek a couple miles on bike or foot.

I do not necessarily know what this lifestyle entails, I am just kind of diving in, nor do I understand where interns head after their 3 months of initial winemaking, since harvest only happens once a year, but I hope to turn this into a career. Might as well consider learning French while I'm at it. I get delirious if I go without pastry for too long.

Enough of my rambling... I enjoy roasting coffee, but I gave it up cold turkey couple months ago, and have slowly reincorporated it every other day at best... It's quite obvious today is one of my caffeinated days!

Cheers

Sounds like you have a lot going on! Good for you having so many different interests, but wine is one of the best. We just planted a vineyard in Northeast Texas in Red River County and currently waiting to see if it makes it! We had a rough 100 degree August, but all the vines seem to be fine.

There are ALOT of vineyards in Texas, you might try what's up in Fredericksburg and other wine areas here.

Good luck to you! and walking and coffee never hurt anybody!

 

[Blue_Angel]

The work has been rough… but I’m pulling through!

 

[Snafflebit]

Very interesting to see the head trained vines

 

[Blue_Angel]

Very interesting to see the head trained vines

Not where I’m working ! But on the way of my bicycle ride each day…