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Viticulturist

Viticulture is the science and art of cultivating grapevines and involves a range of roles

Training, qualifications and skills PA1 and PA3 Spraying Certificates, and usually a foundation degree or an introductory course in viticulture
Career progression opportunities You would normally start as a vineyard assistant, and after some experience, move on to vineyard manager roles or maybe consultancy.
Useful links Wines of Great Britain
EnglishWine.com
 

Focus on: Vineyard and estate manager

Matt Strugnell
Ridgeview Wine Estate
Full time, salary up to £45k
Sussex

A vineyard manager is responsible for growing grapes for either a vineyard in its own right or a wine producer. At Ridgeview we not only have our own vineyard, but we also have grapes grown under contract, and my job involves overseeing all of this. I spend a lot of time with our contract growers to offer them advice and my responsibility is to ensure they deliver a high quality crop.

Be prepared to work hard in all weathers – hours vary but harvest can mean long hours. There is a lot to learn in viticulture so be prepared to do a lot of learning on the job.

While my job is more managerial these days, I do still work hands-on in the vineyard and occasionally I get to jump on the tractor. My formal training was an HND in Wine Studies at Plumpton College in 2002 – the equivalent today is the Foundation Degree.

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