Summer Internship Announcement
2023 Nestled on the west hills of the Hood River Valley, Phelps Creek Vineyards offers breathtaking views of the Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood. Our small boutique winery focuses on estate grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; annually producing 5,000 cases total of all our varietals. We first planted our grapes in 1990 and now nurture 36 acres including 25 acres of Pinot Noir, 6 acres of Chardonnay and 1.5 acre of Pinot Gris and a newly acquired Riesling Vineyard.
Phelps Creek Vineyards Summer Internship Program is in its eleventh year and we are pleased to offer two positions at our vineyards and winery. Our internship program was developed to build your resume through a well-rounded and comprehensive immersion in the wine industry. Over the years, we have honed the program to deliver a memorable and educational summer experience. Under the guidance of our Hospitality Manager and the entire Phelps Creek team, Interns will gain knowledge in all aspects of vineyard and winery life, with focus on Hospitality (Managing the Wine Country Experiences Tour Program including the End of Season Business Review). We also include exposure to Marketing, Finance, Viticulture and Enology.
Your internship will consist of four parts:
1st Element: Work Experience You’ll gain applicable work experience through administration, winemaking, viticulture, hospitality, retail, customer service, and marketing assignments. Tasks will range from day-to-day tasks to one-time assignments. The work expe-rience element includes shadowing sessions with our Enologist, Manager of Vineyard Operations and Managing Winemaking.
2nd Element: Education Education classes and certification programs required to work at Phelps Creek Vineyards Oregon Liquor Control Commission Licensed Alcohol Server Permit. You will also participate in Phelps Creek Vineyards company meetings and educational sessions with the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association.
3rd Element: Palate Expansion In addition to familiarizing yourself with Phelps Creek Vineyards’ wines, there will be constant tasting of Columbia Gorge AVA and wines from other districts, as well as special occasions when we pull from our Library. Beginning with regimented WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting® lectures*, you will develop your palate and build your tasting skills. You will also participate in the Wine Dinners hosted by Phelps Creek Vineyards and our private team summer barbecues. Your summer internship will be a complete immersion in wine country lifestyle, and we hope it will pro-vide a great introduction into the world of wine.
4th Element: Personal Project We believe that a great addition to an intern’s portfolio is a personal project that you see through from beginning to end. The project will be assigned based on your personal goals and areas where the company can benefit.
In addition to your personal project, we have team projects that you will participate in. Including:
- Tend to your own ‘Les Stagiaire’s Block’ of vines under the watchful eye of our Vineyard Manager
- Les Stagiaires (the Interns) Wine blending project – and your name will be mentioned on the back label
- Participating in all the steps of Brandy Distillation 1808 Country Club Rd, Hood River, OR 97031 www.phelpscreekvineyards.com 541.399.7928 lynette@phelpscreekvineyards.com
Hours Interns will be expected to work about 40 hours per week. Length The internship begins 1 week after Spring Term finals. Your hire date will be on the day that you arrive at Phelps Creek Vineyards; the internship typically lasts about 12 weeks, depending on different school schedules.
Requirements The only requirements of interns are upbeat personality, eagerness to learn about the wine industry, and the ability to connect with others and speak in front of large groups.
Compensation Stipend Package
- $1000 per month stipend, paid in bi-monthly installments via check
- 8 school credits
- Free room rental (value of $500/month)
Performance Bonus
- $20 for each Wine Club sign-up, paid bi-monthly accompanying salary paycheck
- Tips from guests in Tasting Room and Wine Country Experiences – adjusted tips paid accompanying salary paycheck and cash tips paid day of
Wine Bonus
- One bottle of wine per week (Retail Value: <$35)
- 50% off all Phelps Creek Vineyards’ wine purchases
We will be accepting cover letters accompanied by resumes until May 1st, 2023. Students will be contacted shortly thereafter for an interview. Please send all documents to Lynette Morus at: lynette@phelpscreekvineyards.com.
Below are testimonials from past interns:
“I have had such a blast being here and really diving into the vineyard life and all that it has to offer. I came to Phelps Creek not knowing anything about the vines, winemaking, and very little about the wine industry but truly eager to learn about it and I can confidently say in the twelve weeks I have been here I have grown and experienced so much all because of your guy’s support and guidance. I have honestly enjoyed every aspect of this program and am seeing my growth. I have had some conversations with people about the vines or wines or really anything about this industry and I am able to talk so freely about it. Then I think back on that conversation and think to myself “What the heck where did that come from…?” and you know what I actually did learn a thing or two 🙂 Not only did I develop and grow my wine industry knowledge and skills but also, I have grown personally as well. Being here as allowed me to become a more confident, social, knowledgeable and experienced professional. I branched away from my comfort zone in tak-ing this internship and it was worth every second and I couldn’t be more thankful.” Mattie Mauseth, 2022
“As a student pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, I never imagined that I’d be spending a summer living on a vineyard. With no prior knowledge about wine, winemaking, or wine culture, I was worried I might have trouble keep-ing up with so much new information. However, my worries quickly subsided when I was greeted by the friendly staff and welcoming environment at Phelps Creek. Gradually, I was introduced to many different aspects of the wine indus-try and got to choose which parts to focus on during my internship. To match the chemical side of my major, I worked in the lab under the vineyard enologist, learning about testing, filtering, and bottling wine. I also spent time learning to give tours of the vineyard and pour wine, which allowed me to interact with all different types of people and improve my communication skills. Towards the end of the summer, I was even able to conduct a self-directed personalized project researching the effects of wildfire smoke on wines and potential ways to remove smoke taint. Overall, I was extremely impressed by the Phelps Creek internship program, and I doubt I’d be able to find other opportunities as fun, educational, and catered to what I wanted to learn. It was a privilege to learn from such kind, knowledgeable and passionate mentors, and I felt like I had learned at least one new thing by the end of each day. I am so incredibly lucky and thankful for being able to spend three months at Phelps Creek Vineyards. My summer ambassador experience is truly one that I will remember for a lifetime!” Enya Cochran, 2021
My experience at Phelps Creek Vineyards was truly one of the most holistic, well-rounded, and dynamic jobs I could have taken on as an undergraduate. As a young scientist, I accepted this job out of sheer aversion to working in an environment that required data analysis, excel, and closed-toe shoes. I wanted to meet a wide variety of people who came from different walks in life, and this notion of the human connection is really what made working at Phelps Creek so memorable. I met so many interesting people and the conversations I had has shaped the occupation and lifestyle I wish to lead in the future. In addition, I gained a wealth of knowledge pertaining to wine, viticulture, and even vineyard lifestyle— all of which I still use to surprise people that do not know I worked at a vineyard. All in all, having mentors like Lynette, Bob, and Bill that could teach me real-world skills and give me the free-reign to run my own tours or pour for community events reflects not only their expertise in knowledge regarding wine, but also their kind- ness and sin-cerity in mentoring a young boy who— at the time— was still very unsure or unaware if he even wanted to be a part of the wine industry. You do not need an enology degree in order to be a part of Phelps Creek Vineyards. You simply need to show up and be prepared for whatever they got in store for you! Wesley Yu, 2018
The summer internship at Phelps Creek is truly a once and a lifetime experience. Your time will be full of adventure and priceless stories. You will learn a wealth about viticulture and wine production. Every tour, community event, and wedding is sure to bring a rich reward. Not to mention the Gorge being one of the most magical spots on the map. Your three months at Phelps Creek will be one for the books! – Sydney Schumacher, 2016
My experience at Phelps Creek Vineyards was very in depth and well rounded. The internship approached all aspects of the wine industry, giving an educational experience in everything I was looking for. My specific area of focus was on the winemaking portion, and I could not have found better mentors for this anywhere else. The people teaching me had many years of experience to bestow upon me and show me invaluable skills that I can now take to the real world. Having the privilege to live on the vineyard itself completely immersed me into the wine industry and lifestyle associ-ated with a career in this path. This helped teach me everything I needed to know about both the vineyard and the wines at Phelps Creek Vineyards; this information proved advantageous when working with the guests who visited the vineyard during the tours, and for applying this knowledge in a broader aspect to my lifestyle and career. I would not trade my experience at Phelps Creek Vineyards for any other internship. – Jean-Luc Lacosse, 2015
