Internships for Wine Lovers

There are many opportunities available for students interested in exploring interesting career options. A rather unique experience exists for those who'd like to learn more about the wine industry and the various career options that are available within this field. This semester I worked with a student who just graduated in May. She spent her last semester of college interning at a local mediation office for the city's court system and now plans on going to France in August to do another internship at a wine vineyard.

In Oregon their $1 billion wine industry is spreading into the college classroom. The programs at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg and Chemeketa Community College in Salem are combining with existing two and four year programs and are offering available internship opportunities for students interested in learning more about the field. The wine industry is big business for Oregon and its economy and more students are now able to gain relevant experience in the field prior to choosing it as a career.

Oregon’s wine industry expects to add 5,000 new jobs in the next decade. The Southern Oregon Wine Institute recently broke ground for a five-acre teaching vineyard near Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. Jobs in the industry include vineyard management, winemaking and wine marketing. In addition to programs on campus, several community colleges within the area are even offering online courses as well.

Students interested in the wine industry can apply for a number of internship positions currently available in various locations, such as: Oregon, California, Washington, and Long Island. If you think you'd like to spend some time in California wine country in the Napa Valley, the deadline to apply for this Harvest Internship position is June 30th.