Kanonkop is one of South Africa’s most iconic wine estates, known for producing world-class Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon in the heart of Stellenbosch. With a legacy rooted in tradition and a dedication to excellence, we seek a dynamic and passionate Assistant Winemaker to join our team.
Key Responsibilities
- Vintage Operations Support
- Assist in planning, coordinating, and executing all harvest activities.
- Supervise grape receival, processing, fermentation monitoring, and additions.
- Ensure accurate record-keeping of all vintage-related data and samples.
- Cellar Management
- Oversee daily cellar operations, including racking, blending, fining, filtering, and barrel work.
- Ensure cellar hygiene and sanitation standards are strictly maintained.
- Supervise and train cellar staff and interns, ensuring safe and efficient workflow.
- Fermentation and Maturation Monitoring
- Regularly monitor fermentations and wine development through tasting and analysis.
- Conduct routine laboratory testing of wines, including sugar, acid, pH, alcohol, and SO₂ levels.
- Record and interpret lab results, and work with the winemaker to make informed decisions.
- Track barrel maturation progress and manage topping schedules.
- Blending and Bottling
- Participate in blending trials and wine evaluations.
- Assist in preparing wines for bottling, including final adjustments and filtration.
- Quality Control and Compliance
- Conduct sensory evaluations to ensure wines meet stylistic and quality standards.
- Ensure all activities comply with company protocols and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain detailed winemaking and compliance records (IPW, SAWIS, WineMS, etc.).
6. Equipment and Maintenance Management
- Schedule and coordinate routine maintenance and servicing of all cellar equipment.
- Maintain logs of service intervals, breakdowns, and repairs.
- Ensure winemaking equipment is clean, operational, and ready for seasonal demands.
- Liaise with external technicians and suppliers as needed for specialized repairs.
- Inventory and Supplies Oversight
- Manage cellar and laboratory stock inventories, including additives, barrels, dry goods, and cleaning agents.
- Assist in procurement planning and ensure adequate supplies for cellar operations.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Liaise with viticultural, logistics, bottling and sales teams as needed.
- Represent the winery during tastings, technical meetings, and trade events when required.
Minimum Requirements:
- Degree/Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology or equivalent
- 2–4 years of cellar/winemaking experience
- Strong leadership and team management abilities
- Excellent organizational and communication skills
- Knowledge of South African wine legislation and export standards
- Ability to work extended hours during harvest
- Own transport
Should you be interest in this position, please forward your CV: Michelle@kanonkop.co.za