ABACELA VITICULTURE/WINERY INTERNSHIP
Time frame- June 1st – October 31st, 2025 (5 months)
Abacela is a 76 acre Oregon estate winery (www.abacela.com) that pioneered the production of Tempranillo and Albariño as varietal wines in America. Our estate’s Fault Line Vineyards, with its hill and valley topography that produces many mesoclimates and soil types, has been dubbed “The most interesting vineyard property in Oregon” by others. This setting has permitted us to match old world grapes not previously grown in the region to different microclimate-soil sites. These achievements have contributed greatly to Abacela’s leadership in production of alternative varieties that are now grown and produced by others across the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere in the USA.
We specialize in grapes and wine styles indigenous to the Iberian Peninsula. The vines are managed sustainably with limited inputs and are hand harvested. Our vineyard season starts in mid-winter with pruning, followed by bud break in early to mid-April, and the vines are nurtured and managed until harvest in September and October. This internship is an opportunity to learn and experience the science and art of winemaking in a family-owned and operated, gravity flow winery that grows and harvests about 200 plus tons of fifteen different, interesting grape varieties to produce approximately 12,000 cases (144,000, 750 ml bottles) of high-quality wine.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Viticulture/Winery interns will work mostly in the vineyard during the first half of the period. During this time the intern will assist with various vine management activities including but not limited to: vineyard scouting, soil moisture readings, monitoring leaf water potential, irrigation monitoring, crop thinning, conducting crop yield estimates (cluster counts and weights), and other duties as assigned. The intern will be asked to participate in new and ongoing research projects in both the vineyard and winery. During harvest period the intern will install bird netting, sample fruit to determine picking dates, help harvest and deliver fruit to the winery, and work on the crush pad and in the winery processing fruit and wine.
QUALIFICATIONS
▪ Be both knowledgeable and passionate about viticulture and wine
▪ Have a growth mindset and open to learn from experience
▪ Must be a team player, have a strong work ethic
▪ Students whose primary language is not English must have conversational English
▪ Ability to listen, follow directions, and accurately carry out assignments to completion
▪ Must have a valid US or International driver’s license and clean motor vehicle record
▪ Viticulture students preferred but please note this in an integrated viticulture/winery internship
▪ Must be able to work long hours, up to six days a week, in different kinds of weather
▪ Tractor driving experience is good and experience operating fork-lift trucks is a bonus
▪ Must be able to work through mid-November
TIME AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Hours worked will vary from a typical work week to extended hours once the harvest commences.
- Ability to walk distances, including steep hillsides
- Ability to do standing, squatting, or kneeling work for extended periods of time
- Ability to lift 50 pounds
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
▪ Abacela is willing to work with the intern to meet their academic requirements (e.g., thesis, data collection, reports, etc.) but must have information from the academic institution regarding the nature and timing of the requirements before starting the internship.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
▪ Stipend is $2200/month. Note that the stipend is ‘gross’ with required taxes taken out each pay period.
▪ Abacela will cover the base housing and car expense.
▪ Interns are responsible for travel to and from Oregon and all gas, food, phone, internet, and other basic expenses.
▪ Interns are responsible for covering costs associated with obtaining a Passport and a VISA.
✓ Please note that Abacela Vineyards and Winery is a no smoking facility. ✓ Applications accepted until Friday, January 10, 2025; with positions awarded Friday, January 31, 2025
✓ To apply send cover letter and resume to gavin@abacela.com
