About AV: 

Australian Vintage (AV) is an ASX listed multi award winning Australian wine company with a strong global reach. AV’s portfolio consists of the McGuigan, Tempus Two, Barossa Valley Wine Company and Nepenthe Brands amongst others.  At AV we believe in making the world a smaller place through sharing good times.

Championing a fully-integrated wine business model, the breadth of AV’s capabilities extends to vineyard management, premium winemaking, large scale winemaking, low/no alcohol winemaking, grape juice concentrate production, wine packaging, marketing and distribution.

We are proud that our Buronga Hill Winery and Merbein Packaging Facility are 100% powered by wind and solar energy. Specifically, 30% coming from solar panels on site at the Buronga Hill Winery and the balance coming from offsite wind and solar parks through our partner Flow Power.

About the role: 

We have created an exciting new opportunity for a qualified Winemaker to join our Winemaking Team.

The Winemaker-Innovation & Research will lead product development, research and continuous improvement initiatives across the AVG Winemaking division including fulfilling the market leading, insights driven and consumer focused innovation pipeline.

Reporting directly through to the Chief Winemaker, this position will be key to the continued successful delivery of first-to-market and best-to-market product innovations at AVG as part of our Strategic Plan.

Innovation projects including format, lifestyle, flavor/refreshment and make where sold sourcing solutions.

Responsibilities 

Reporting directly to and working closely with the Chief Winemaker your primary duties will include:

• Champion product development and research projects as part of AVGs consumer lead innovation pipeline
• Work with key stakeholders (internally and externally) to meet timelines across project milestones
• Initiate continuous improvement projects with a focus on product quality, efficiency and consistency
• Champion global wine sourcing initiatives including supplier liaison, wine parcel assessments, contracts, quality assurance and commercial assessments
• Facilitate the wine benchmarking program
• Champion the trade sample preparation process
• Participate in standard harvest processing responsibilities including leading and managing trial projects

We are looking for:

• Formal qualifications: Tertiary qualifications in Wine Science (or equivalent) is essential.   A minimum of 5 years in commercial scale winemaking and or product-based project management and strong organoleptic skills.
• Communication skills: We are looking for someone with strong communication skills who has the ability to build positive relationships within our business.
• A team player: We are looking for someone who thrives in a team environment where collaboration is at the forefront of day-to-day operations.
• Computer literacy: The ability to demonstrate sound computer skills is essential. Previous experience using Winery operation platforms advantageous.
• Industry knowledge: A comprehensive understanding of the wine industry and a thorough understanding of grape productions practices and processes.

Australian Vintage Benefits: 

We're proud to offer a strong benefits package that we know can make a big difference to work life and life outside of work.

• A competitive salary offering between 100-110K per annum + superannuation
• Location - Buronga Hill Winery, NSW -  SA based considered for right candidate
• Primary carer parental leave offering 26 weeks paid leave
• Loyalty Leave
• Birthday Leave
• Volunteer Days
• Further education and study support
• Mental health and wellbeing training and support
• Annual product allowance
• Sabbaticals and career breaks
• Continuation of superannuation while on paid and unpaid parental leave