WINEMAKER 43 WINEMAKER 44 of all winemaking activities, as this helps them with the winemaking process. These records help winemakers identify the wine and its components which include vintage, appellation and alcohol tax class throughout a wine’s stages of life. There are different methods available, such as handwritten logs or computerized versions, but this depends on personal preference. 5. Winemakers Have Developed Leadership Skills Making wine by yourself is an almost impossible task. The only way you would be able to manage is by making a really small quantity of wine. Winemakers, however, make a lot more than then just a few bottles of wine. One ton of grapes can result in up to 1440 bottles of wine! To keep up with the amount of labour involved, winemakers hire and work in teams. Winemakers who act as supervisors must have well-developed leadership skills to supervise other staff and ensure that the development of wine proceeds smoothly. 6. Winemakers are Planners You might be familiar with the fact that some wines have a vintage, meaning that a wine is made from grapes that were all or primarily grown and harvested in a single year. Producing aged wine takes time and a certain amount of planning. Winemakers effectively know when to plant and harvest grapes to create the best quality wine from a certain vintage. Everything comes together to create an incredible drink! 7. Winemakers Must Have Technical Knowledge On the surface, winemaking is simple, but there is a lot more to winemaking than meets the eye. Winemakers must acquire a large body of technical knowledge through experience and independent study. Having strong technical knowledge allows winemakers to problem solve by understanding the biological and chemical events that occur during winemaking. 8. Winemakers are Patient, Creative and Have Developed Palates Being a winemaker requires a range of skills however there are a few which are more essential than others. These skills include: • Patience – Some wines age for a few months while others age for many, many years. Winemakers stay patient during the winemaking process because it leads to a superior product. They know that grapes take time to grow and rushing production during the winemaking process is something they simply cannot do. • Creativity – Winemakers need to be creative, as wine is an art and a science. These professionals understand how the soil affects a grape in order to bring out its maximum potential. Creative professionals create new tastes never “tasted” before. • Taste and Smell – Any winemaker will tell you that a winemaker needs to have a superb sense of taste and smell to distinguish the smallest of details. Through analytical and acute tasting, winemakers make decisions that impact the overall taste of the beverage. Want to learn more about winemakers? Then check out FoodGrads Podcast Episode 24: Breaking down the wine making process with Katrina Pukitis Winery Laboratory Technician at Jackson-Triggs Estate Winery Jay Johnston | Winemaking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvLHvdOgZ1A Jay Johnston winemaker for Flat Rock Cellars Winery talks about how he got into this exciting career! Niagara College an Education Partner of ours, Check them out on FoodGrads! Click their logo below! Available Programs: Winery and Viticulture Technician. Niagara College Canada Morgan Genge, Innovation Project Manager at Arterra Wines Esther Onguta, Food, Fermentation and Sensory Scientist at Pernod Ricard Luna Guiot, Brewing Quality Assurance Analyst with Labatt Breweries of Canada
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