Job: VP of Winemaking (Luxury Wine Estate)

Company Description

Our client is a highly regarded fine wine producer based in California, recognized by collectors and the trade for wines of exceptional quality and longevity. Backed by long-standing international ownership with deep roots in the fine wine world, the organization combines the standards of the world’s leading wine estates with the discipline of a luxury house. Its wines are distributed throughout the United States and in many international markets. Our client has built a values-driven leadership culture grounded in trust, candid dialogue, and collaboration.

Objective of the Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Vice President of Winemaking will lead all winemaking, viticulture, and production activities and serve as the final technical decision-maker for the estate. The successor will ensure the continuity of a house style defined by finesse, elegance, freshness, and ageability, while refining practices over time. The role carries a significant ambassador dimension with trade, media, and collectors globally.

Ideal Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior winemaker or technical director from a top-tier fine wine estate, with a proven record of crafting Bordeaux-style wines of elegance and longevity. Candidates will combine technical authority with a collaborative and self-aware leadership style, an international outlook, and a genuine understanding of French wine culture.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction and provide final approval on all winemaking decisions, including harvest timing, fermentation, aging, blending, and bottling.
• Direct viticultural strategy, farming practices, and grape sourcing, including oversight of external farming partners and long-term vineyard stewardship.
• Lead the annual blending process in collaboration with the shareholders’ technical representatives.
• Lead and develop the winemaking, vineyard, cellar, laboratory, facility, sustainability, and packaging teams, and build a strong succession bench.
• Oversee research and development, sensory evaluation, and continuous improvement programs.
• Partner with the CEO and Finance on annual budgets, capital plans, cost of goods, and long-range production strategy.
• Oversee packaging operations, procurement planning, and supplier negotiations.
• Represent the estate with trade, media, and key stakeholders globally, including tastings, events, and speaking engagements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Enology, Viticulture, or a related discipline; an advanced degree is preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive winemaking experience, including senior leadership roles at a premium or luxury estate.
• Demonstrated leadership of harvest and final responsibility for blending decisions.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and to manage budgets and capital projects.
• Experience as a public-facing spokesperson for a fine wine brand.
• International winemaking experience; oral and written fluency in French is strongly preferred.
• Ability to work on-site in the Napa Valley, California, across office, cellar, and vineyard environments, and to travel domestically and internationally.
• US work authorization, or eligibility for a non-lottery visa pathway, for which our client will consider sponsorship.