Winery Work for Harvest Vintage Crush

Township 7 will require 2 healthy, strong individuals to join our crew for harvest season.

This is a temporary, seasonal position that would suit persons entering the wine production field or those with limited experience to this point.

Candidates should look forward to long hours, indoor/outdoor working conditions and shift work. The ability to lift and manage 23 kg is required.

Must be legally entitled to work in Canada, be available September 15 through November 30, 2008 and have fluent command of English, written and oral. There is a possibility of exending the work period based on performance.

contact:
brad@township7.com

Send your CV.

Wine Maker Wanted / Stag's Hollow

Thanks for checking... POSITION NOW FILLED


One of the better small wineries in the Okanagan is looking for a wine maker. Stag's Hollow in Okanagan Falls makes around 5,000 cases and has a newish production facility. Prospective candidates should have considerable experience; a proven track record in wine making is required.
Contact Larry Gerelus directly at info@stagshollowwinery.com or
250-497-6162

More about Stag's Hollow

Staff Training - Terms Explained

There's always new staff to train in a growing organization. It helps to have a manual or training book with wine and vineyard terms explained from your company's viewpoint.

A little humour always helps.

Here's an excerpt:

Fermentation
Naturally-occurring or commercially prepared yeast (a genus in the kingdom of fungi) strains (usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Saccharomyces bayanus) prefer sugar (complex carbohydrates) to complete their life cycle. The by-products of their activity include alcohol and carbon dioxide. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is also used in the production of ale and stout. Another yeast, Saccharomyces pastorianus, is used for lager. Molson Canadian is a lager. If you notice, pastorianus has the word “anus” embedded in it which explains why Molson Canadian tastes like ass.

Malolactic Fermentation
Primarily used for red wine and Chardonnay, the ML fermentation is a bacterial infection that takes malic acid and converts it to a form of lactic acid. Human taste receptors perceive malic acid as sharp and tangy (think Granny Smith apples) while lactic acid, prominent in dairy products, is softer and ‘creamy’. In conjunction with other factors present, a wine that has gone through ML and barrel aging will be considered to be smoother and more complex. Aroma is also altered. Descriptors can include: corn, cream corn, banana, popcorn, caramel, butter, cheese. ML in white wine (Chardonnay) has been on the decrease in recent years.



Tannins
They get their name from the tanning of animal hides. This was done by using an acidic solution sourced traditionally from oak bark that stopped the decomposition of the hides. Tannins in wine are complex astringent polyphenols that help stop the decomposition of the wine. Tannins are sourced from the grape skins, grape seeds and the wood of the barrel. Care must be taken to not extract too much tannin during production, especially from the seeds which can supply particularly harsh tannins. Tannins combine with substances in wine such as proteins and other macromolecules to form strong and heavy complexes that often precipitate and are seen as sediments in aged wines. The best way to describe the effect of tannin in wine is to have the subject drink from a cup of cold, strong tea. Tea contains a lot of tannin and there are few other flavours to confuse the palate. The effect will be a ‘furry’ tongue sensation. The tea should be sipped with the cup handle grasped between the thumb and the forefinger and the pinkie finger raised.

Winery Help Wanted

Township 7 Okanagan is looking for a harvest intern to assist with the crush.
Details at:
http://winevinebc.wordpress.com/

NEW site for help wanted et cetera

I'm in the middle of creating a new service for all the winery, vineyard, wine equipment, wine store and such businesses in BC. It's a site where you can list for free whatever it is you are looking for.

Still working on it but here's the address...

Wine & Vine BC WANTED

Work in a Winery

This is your last chance to work at a winery, newbie.
As mentioned in a previous post, I'll be hiring a passionate, driven zealot for a short-term experience at Township 7 this spring.
If you or someone you know finds this interesting please don't hesitate to drop me a line now.
I make my decision tomorrow afternoon at beer o'clock.

cooper.bradley@gmail.com

Township 7: Help Wanted

I'm offering a short-term entry level wine job this spring at Township 7 Okanagan.
The job will run from March 19 to April 27. There will be a minimum of 25 hours a week; most likely much more. The job will entail working in the cellar and vineyard in a variety of functions.
This is an excellent chance for someone who is thinking about getting in the business but is unsure of the long term commitment.
Must be physically fit, able to lift 16 kg. repetitively and not afraid to get cold, wet and dirty on occasion.
We will train; experience not required but a demonstrated lust for all things wine and an energetic approach to the task at hand will be an asset.
It would be helpful if you like beer.

The Busy Winery

As I've mentioned before, I often get questions and remarks about the wine business this time of the year. Usually it's : What are you guys up to? You must have a lot of time on your hands, I mean, the grapes are all in, the wine is made, what have you got going?

Depending on the operation, there's still lots to do.

Many wineries in my area are busy with ice wine ferments that can take an inordinate amount of time in relation to a regular table wine ferment.

Producers of sparkling wine in the traditional methode champenoise will be assessing their base stock and considering blending. There's also all the specialized packaging that needs to be ordered for this process.

Table wines need to be assessed and the process of clarification and filtering will be initiated. This varys from winery to winery but all wine makers are looking for stability. Once that wine goes into consumer packaging the winery and the wine maker don't want some kind of radical, uncontrolled change occuring that can lead to spoilage or a perceived lack of value (hazy).

Depending where you are and who supplies you - there's a need about now to finalize details on bottles, corks, screwtops, labels and, on top of all that, you better have your vines ordered for next season's planting projects.

There's no shortage of things to do... just a shortage of hours to do them in.