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2021 E. & J. Gallo Winery Winegrowing Internship Program - 6 Months

Internship Program Overview
Our internship program provides students interested in grape and wine production and research the opportunity to spend five to six months working alongside seasoned professionals at one of our many California production sites. Most internships overlap with our grape harvesting efforts, early/mid-summer through late fall, which provide a fruitful experience for learning and developing. Interns support critical harvest efforts as well as complete and present a project to our Winegrowing Leadership team. Ten different internship opportunities are available in Research, Grape Production, Grower Relations, Winemaking and Spiritsmaking (more details on specific opportunities provided below).
 
What You Need
Minimum Qualifications
•   High school diploma or State-issued equivalency certificate.
•   Currently enrolled at a college or university and working towards a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in the school of Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, or Engineering.
•   Strong applied technical skills and analytical problem-solving skills.
•   Good oral and written communication skills.
•   Candidates for this position must have a valid driver’s license and a safe driving record. Required to obtain a California driver’s license or appropriate state driver’s license within 30 days of hire.
•   Reliable transportation to and from work. 
•   Required to lift and move up to 40 lbs. when necessary.
•   Required to work at heights of 50 feet, on tops of tanks inspecting wine surfaces when necessary.
•   Required to be 21 years of age.
•   The position requires availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays when necessary.
Preferred Qualifications
•   Junior or Senior class standing at a college or university and working towards a Bachelor’s degree in the school of Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, or Engineering OR working towards a Master’s degree in the school of Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, or Engineering.
•   Excellent organizational and team skills and experience managing multiple assignments.
•   Comfortable in a manufacturing environment.
•   Mechanical inclination and an aptitude for design of equipment and manufacturing processes.
Physical Demands and Work Environment 
•   Inside/Outside conditions: During crush, work estimated at least 50% (but not limited to) outside with weather of varying types.
•   Must be able to lift and carry 40 pounds.
•   Wet/Slippery conditions vary and may include work in rain.
•   Noise levels may vary. Occasional situations where ear protection is required.
*Gallo does not sponsor for employment based visas for this position now or in the future.

Internship Opportunities Available:
RESEARCH

Winegrowing Research is the research arm of Gallo Winegrowing. Interns work with world class scientists on cutting edge experimentation involving grape growing, winemaking, grape and wine chemistry, fermentation and systems biology. 

VITICULTURE RESEARCH
Location: Modesto and Healdsburg 
Viticulture interns assist in research projects focused on the improvement of grape production practices. Topics include precision viticulture, yield forecasting, irrigation, pruning, mechanization, harvest timing, clonal and variety evaluation, grape genetics and grape phenotyping. This work is closely linked to and supported by our other research groups, as well as by internal production groups and external research partners from industry and academia.
What you will do: 
•   Measurement of vine growth and development, including canopy microclimate and leaf area.
•   Determination of vine physiology parameters including water status and canopy photosynthesis.
•   Monitor grape aroma, flavor and color development during berry ripening.
•   Evaluation of potential bud fruitfulness via bud dissection during dormancy. 
•   Measurement of grapevine yield components at harvest. 
•   Remote sensing and GIS field mapping. 
•   Genotyping and phenotyping of key grape yield, quality, and environmental adaptation traits.

RESEARCH WINERY
Location: Modesto
Interns will assist in all aspects of small-lot wine production in our Modesto based Research Winery, producing over 500 table, sparkling and dessert wines per season. Interns work hands-on – from crush to bottling – in every step of the winemaking process. The facility supports the statewide research program, allowing interns to produce wines from grapes grown in every major winegrowing region of California. Interns will also gain experience in producing a wide variety of wine styles and types, including white and red table, sparkling and dessert wines. Interns will also work with over 100 different grape varieties and gain experience with a wide range of grape processing and winemaking methods.  
What you will do: 
•   Grape receiving, crushing, and pressing
•   Fermentation monitoring, filtration, ingredient additions and post-fermentation treatments.
•   Assist with bench, pilot, and plant scale experiments, including recording and documenting data
•   Bottling 

PILOT WINERIES
Locations: Livingston and Healdsburg
Interns will perform hands-on research wine production at a multiple hundred-gallon scale. The facilities execute dozens of winemaking projects per year. These facilities focus on grape and wine processing objectives that are specific to the region of the facility. Interns will also gain experience in producing a wide variety of wine styles and types. The pilot wineries are located within our large-scale production facilities, allowing interns to see first-hand how production practices in winemaking change as production scale increases.  
What you will do: 
•   Grape receiving, crushing, and pressing
•   Fermentation monitoring, filtration, ingredient additions and post-fermentation treatments.
•   Assist with bench, pilot, and plant scale experiments, including recording and documenting data

CHEMISTRY RESEARCH  & RESEARCH APPLICATIONS
Location: Modesto 
Interns will assist in daily research and production support activities involving grape and wine chemistry. Students gain hands-on experience in a commercial laboratory and with state of the art analytical equipment, enhancing the skills and experience necessary for graduate school and/or future employment. Interns participate in team projects that contribute to the improvement of commercial processes and grape and wine quality. 
What you will do: 
•   Evaluating the chemical characteristics of grapes throughout their maturation process.
•   Implementing rapid chemical methods to measure and monitor juice and wine attributes.
•   Correlating chemical data with Sensory attributes.
•   Chemically characterize grapes and wines for important compositional parameters.
•   Statistically analyze data.

Micro- and Systems Biology
Location: Modesto
The Micro- and Systems Biology team uses a multi-disciplinary approach to study the biology of grape growing, fermentation and winemaking. This integrative approach is necessary to understand the complex interactions occurring between grapevine and yeast at the molecular level. The research findings are used in an applied manner to develop new processes and production practices. Interns will assist in research focused on the characterization of grapevines, yeast and winemaking processes to identify the impact on wine aroma and flavor. 
What you will do: 
•   Monitor fruit ripening in the vineyard including sugar, acid and pH.
•   Perform standard molecular biology laboratory techniques including the extraction of nucleic acids from grapes and yeast. 
•   Perform microbiology techniques including the identification and maintenance of yeast strains. 
•   Perform RTqPCR, protein and nucleic acid electrophoresis, exclusion chromatography and spectroscopy. 

ENOLOGY RESEARCH  
Location: Healdsburg
Interns will assist in daily research and production support activities, gaining valuable experience in all aspects of the winemaking process including grape processing, fermentation and aging. Interns also work as part of the winery’s laboratory staff to analyze grapes, fermentations and wines. 
What you will do: 
•   Crush and process grapes, monitor fermentations, ingredient additions, cap management and barrel aging.    
•   Assist with bench, pilot, and plant scale experiments, including documenting and organizing data.
•   Chemically analyze grapes, fermentations and wines and draw conclusions from those results. 


WINE GRAPE PRODUCTION - GALLO VINEYARDS, INC (GVI)
Gallo Vineyards, Inc. (GVI) owns and operates 14 vineyards in Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera and Fresno Counties, encompassing thousands of acres. GVI Central Valley is responsible for planting, farming and harvesting these company owned vineyards in Central California utilizing sustainable farming practices and employing the latest technology. GVI strives to produce the highest quality wine grapes using technologically advanced production techniques. 

GALLO VINEYARDS
Location: Livingston and Fresno
Interns will support the many different areas of our Winegrowing Operations including general viticulture, irrigation management, pest control, tractor and spray operations, new equipment development and cultural operations. 
What you will do: 
•   Use GPS technology and the Geographical Information Systems to implement precision farming and map vineyard infrastructure.
•   Pest and disease scouting and help draft treatment thresholds for specific pests.
•   Assist with the design, layout, and planting of a new vineyard block.
•   Assist with harvest activities including maturity sampling, harvest equipment preparation and quality control of mechanically and hand-harvested fruit.
•   Data collection and analysis for GVI viticulture experiments

GROWER RELATIONS
Gallo Grower Relations works with thousands of growers throughout the Central Valley. Grower Relations strives to produce the highest quality wine grapes using technologically advanced production techniques while maintaining important business relationships. 
Location: Fresno and Lodi 
Interns will support our Grower Relations team including GIS/map building and analysis, grower outreach, crop estimation, pest and disease scouting, harvest scheduling and delivery coordination. 
What you will do: 
•   Use GPS technology and the Geographical Information System to implement precision farming and map vineyard infrastructure.
•   Scout pests and diseases and help draft treatment thresholds for specific pests.
•   Assist with harvest activities including maturity sampling, harvest equipment preparation and quality control of mechanically and hand-harvested fruit.


WINEMAKING & SPIRITSMAKING
Gallo’s wine and spirits making teams are responsible for the production of nearly 100 million cases of wines and spirits. The work is fast paced, as interns receive a first-hand look at how wines and spirits are produced, from grape processing to bottling. 

WINEMAKING
Location: Modesto, Fresno and Livingston
Interns will learn from numerous winemakers making a variety of table wines, sparkling wines, flavored wines and beverages in commercial production. 
What you will do: 
•   Participate in tastings and sensory evaluations.
•   Participate in production, evaluation and bottling of commercial wines and beverages 
•   Perform fining and other winemaking trials and experiments.
•   Perform laboratory scale blending.
•   Participate in harvest activities including, but not limited to, sample acquisition, production trials, and fermentation evaluations.

SPIRITSMAKING
Location: Modesto and Fresno
The internship gives students the opportunity to learn from numerous distillers producing a variety of spirits. Spirits-making is an area of growth for Gallo as a company. The environment is dynamic as we learn how to distill and craft new styles of beverages. 
What you will do: 
•   Participate in spirits tasting and sensory evaluation.
•   Manage bench-scale trials and experiments.
•   Research and execute process improvements in making and managing our spirits portfolio.
•   Monitor fermentation and distillation facilities during harvest.