Senior Winemaker

Job Description

Position Summary

The Senior Winemaker is responsible for the end-to-end leadership, execution, and quality of all winemaking activities from vineyard through bottling. This role ensures the consistent delivery of luxury wines that meet or exceed brand standards, stylistic direction, regulatory requirements, and business objectives.  Operating within a multi-brand, matrixed environment, the Senior Winemaker leads site-based and external production while maintaining full accountability for wine quality, operational efficiency, and technical excellence. This role serves as the final authority on blending, sensory evaluation, and winemaking decisions, and acts as a key ambassador for the brand.

Key Responsibilities

Winemaking Leadership & Execution

• Lead and direct all winemaking processes from grape intake through fermentation, aging, blending, finishing, and bottling
• Oversee estate and custom crush operations to ensure consistency, quality, and timely production
• Establish and maintain winemaking standards, protocols, and quality benchmarks
• Serve as the final authority on wine style, blending, and sensory evaluation
• Monitor fermentation, maturation, and storage to ensure optimal wine development
• Develop and execute production plans aligned with volume, style, and business targets
• Oversee execution of work orders and cellar instructions
• Evaluate processes and implement continuous improvement initiatives

Vineyard Partnership & Harvest Leadership

• Partner with viticulture teams to align vineyard practices with winemaking goals
• Assess fruit maturity, vine health, and quality to inform harvest timing and picking decisions
• Lead harvest strategy including fruit allocation, logistics, and intake
• Provide input on yield targets, farming practices, and block-level decisions
• Build strong relationships with internal and external growers

Production, Planning & Cost Management

• Lead crush planning and coordinate production scheduling with operations teams
• Manage wine inventory, blend composition, and surplus wine strategies
• Oversee cost centers including grapes, bulk wine, and production inputs
• Aligning production plans with financial targets and long-term supply strategies
• Ensure wines are produced, aged, and processed to meet shipping timelines

Custom Crush & External Production Oversight

• Oversee third-party and custom crush winemaking to ensure alignment with brand standards
• Establish specifications, protocols, and quality expectations for external partners
• Monitor production progress, blending integration, and finished wine quality
• Maintain strong relationships with external facilities and producers

Quality, Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Conduct tastings, blending sessions, and quality evaluations
• Review wine samples regularly to ensure proper aging and mitigate risk
• Lead process optimization, fining trials, and technical improvements
• Leverage analytical data and modern tools to enhance decision-making
• Ensure consistency of style and quality across vintages and production sites

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and develop winemaking and cellar teams
• Organize, train, and manage direct reports
• Foster a culture of accountability, craftsmanship, and continuous learning
• Collaborate cross-functionally with vineyard, operations, lab, supply chain, marketing/brand, and commercial teams
• Support talent development and succession planning

Brand Representation & Engagement

• Serve as a visible ambassador for the winery and its brands
• Participate in tastings, tours, industry events, and trade engagements
• Communicate winemaking philosophy, style, and quality standards
• Partner with marketing and sales to support brand positioning and growth

Compliance, Safety & Sustainability

• Follow and enforce safety protocols and best practices
• Ensure compliance with all TTB, state, environmental, and safety regulations
• Maintain accurate and audit-ready production records
• Support sustainability initiatives including conservation, energy efficiency, and environmental stewardship

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Winemaking
• 8+ years of progressive winemaking experience, including cool climate reductive winemaking
• 2+ years of leadership or supervisory experience of full-time employees
• Strong expertise in sensory evaluation and blending
• Deep technical knowledge of vineyards, cellars, lab, and bottling operations
• Experience in multi-site, custom crush, or multi-brand environments preferred
• Knowledge of TTB and state regulatory requirements
• Excellent communication, organizational, and planning skills

Core Competencies

• Technical expertise and winemaking leadership
• Quality and results orientation
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Strategic thinking and operational execution
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Inspires and develops high-performing teams, providing clear direction and driving accountability to achieve business, quality, and organizational goals.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Combination of indoor and outdoor winery environments
• Exposure to varying temperatures, noise, wet/slippery conditions, and production equipment
• Ability to walk, climb, bend, and stand for extended periods
• Ability to lift 50–55 lbs.
• May require extended hours, weekends, and harvest season intensity
• Travel is required

Success Profile

• Quality Authority: Consistently delivers wines that meet or exceed stylistic and brand expectations
• Technical Leader: Applies deep expertise with rigor and precision
• Collaborative Partner: Aligns vineyard, production, and commercial priorities
• Operationally Disciplined: Executes effectively across complex, multi-site environments
• Brand Ambassador: Represents the winery with credibility and passion
• Leader: Develops, and retains top talent while building a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Location

Salem, Oregon

Additional Locations

Job Type

Full time

Job Area

Viticulture & Winemaking

The salary range for this role is:

$105,100.00 - $164,400.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting.  Our compensation is based on cost of labor. For remote locations or positions open to multiple locations, the pay range may reflect several US geographic markets, including the lowest geographic market minimum to the highest geographic market maximum. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, the prevailing minimum wage for the location, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs.  At Constellation Brands, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate. We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and any other benefits to eligible employees.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Equal Opportunity

Constellation Brands is committed to a continuing program of equal employment opportunity. All persons have equal employment opportunities with Constellation Brands, regardless of their sex, race, color, age, religion, creed, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), marital status, gender (including gender identity or gender expression), familial status, military or veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related conditions (or any other group or category within the framework of the applicable discrimination laws and regulations).