Also called: Enologist, Assistant Winemaker
Decides how grapes become wine: when to pick, how to ferment, age, and blend.
In fall you walk vineyards tasting grapes to decide picking day, then run fermentations around the clock. In winter you taste barrels and build blends. Your name may end up on the label.
Head winemakers at prestigious wineries earn the most.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in viticulture and enology (e.g., UC Davis, Washington State) or long cellar experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Viticulture & Enology, Food Science, Chemistry, Fermentation Science.
Growing about average.
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors and AI help time harvests; decisions on fermenting, aging and blending stay human and sensory.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, Agriculture CTE (FFA).
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.