Getting a Job in the Wine Industry

As spring crawls ever closer, soon-to-be college graduates are trying to line up their post-college careers with many looking to get into the wine industry.

Trent Ball with Yakima Valley Community College hosted a wine industry job session at the wine grape growers convention and said, “The demand is there, the industry is growing. We just heard Ted Baseler talk about the capability of the industry growing to maybe, in the next 20 years, to 200,000 acres and we’re at 60,000 acres now.”

The boom of the wine industry has seen job opportunities jump by 20-30 percent since 2009, and that looks to continue.

Ball emphasized that biggest advantage is a passion for wine and the wine industry, but that’s not his only advice.

“If you’re getting ready to go into the industry, be aware of what deal breakers are. How do you set yourself up for success in such a way that when you’re presenting yourself, you’re doing it in a professional manner? You know what you’re getting into in the industry.”

Ball also noted that job seekers don’t necessarily need a four-year degree, but there opportunities for people who graduate with an Associate’s Degree.

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