AddressAuburn Road Vineyard - Auburn Road, Kayena TAS 7270
Current Bay of Fires Vineyard – Baxters Rd, Pipers River TAS 7252
Handpicked Wines is an award-winning fine wine producer with a growing number of sustainably and organically managed vineyards in the Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, and the Barossa Valley.
Due to expansion and the Acquisition of the House or Arras brand and properties, an opportunity has arisen for a Viticulturist / Vineyard Manager to join our team in Tasmania. The position will report to the Senior Viticulturist based in Victoria.
We require a passionate, collaborative, and focussed individual to manage, execute, and oversee all aspects of vineyard operations, and assist with significant contract grower management.
The position is based at our newly acquired winery in Pipers River and is responsible for all three company vineyards covering approximately 45 Ha, as well as significant contract grower management. The vineyards encompass both organic and conventional management.
The role focus is on ensuring that Handpicked Wines’ vineyards deliver fruit of the highest quality while using best-practice methodologies. The manager will be responsible for hands on supervision of staff and contractors to ensure viticultural priorities are effectively and efficiently achieved. Responsibilities will extend to broader oversight for all properties and strategic planning and implementation of programs to achieve desired fruit and financial outcomes.
Role responsibilities includes:
• Direct management and mentoring of Tasmanian vineyard teams in their day-to-day operations. 2-5 direct reports.
• Setting a plan and supervising the execution of vineyard work programs to achieve target outcomes across three sites (each 20 min drive apart) approximately totaling 45 Ha and 300 tonnes of fruit. Two sites are managed organically, and one site is managed conventionally.
• Technical accountability for phenology and vine health monitoring, crop estimates, pest & disease monitoring, irrigation monitoring & scheduling, maturity monitoring and harvest scheduling.
• Weekly, consistent, and proactive communication and reporting, both written and verbal to the senior viticulturist.
• Liaison with and management of external grape growers and buyers, in conjunction with the senior Viticulturist. Approximately 20 growers and 1200 tonne of fruit, spread across the whole state of Tasmania.
• Supervise and perform manual and mechanical operations, such as spraying, trimming, under-vine and mid-row management, pruning, trellis and irrigation repairs.
• Perform, manage, and communicate preventative maintenance program for all plant and equipment, grounds and property.
• Manage supplier payments, operational and capital budgets, procurement.
• Ensuring OH&S compliance, including creation and management of SOPs and other documentation for all operations, training of staff in safe work practices
• Short term (seasonal) planning – set targets for yield and quality in line with company requirements, manage fruit sales for excess production, manage contract growers as required.
• Long term (strategic) planning – develop and implement plans for vineyard development and renewal to ensure that production meets company requirements and cost efficiencies, manage acquisition and/or development of additional vineyard areas to meet current and future requirements
• Management of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia memberships and organic certification
• Maintain all required records, including spray diaries, work programs, monitoring records, yield and maturity estimates, harvest data, soil and tissue tests
