Grower Relations and Viticulture Research Internship

Grower Relations and Viticulture Research Internship

Duration: May-December 2025

Locations: Healdsburg, CA, Lodi, CA, Madera, CA, Modesto, Ca, Napa, CA, San Miguel, CA and Sonoma, CA

Application Deadline: December 1, 2024

• Applications will not be reviewed until the posting close date.

Join our dynamic Grower Relations and Viticulture Research programs, where you'll drive best grape growing practices to help our Winemaking Team craft superior wines. This 6-7 month internship offers hands-on technical training, professional growth, and industry exposure. Beginning in late spring and continuing into late fall, you'll manage projects and conduct research to present to our leadership team. Ideal for students and recent graduates in agricultural business, viticulture, genetics, and plant science, this inclusive opportunity fosters collaboration and innovation. Come thrive with us and make your mark in the wine industry!

Placement Opportunities

• Grower Relations
• Grower Outreach
• Precision Viticulture Research
• Grape Breed Research

Grower Relations

Locations: Lodi, CA, Napa, CA, Sonoma, CA, San Miguel, CA 

Grower Relations works with hundreds of wine-grape growers throughout California. Grower Relations strives to source the highest quality wine grapes, recommending technologically advanced production techniques while building strong business relationships with the grower community. Interns will support our Grower Relations teams with vineyard mapping and spatial analyses using GIS, crop estimation, pest and disease scouting, fruit sampling for yield and quality, coordination for harvest scheduling and delivery, and grower outreach.

A Taste of What You’ll Do

• Support all Grower Relations operations.
• Create and maintain reports to track yield estimation, grape maturity and phenology activity.
• Use GIS technology to recommend precision-farming practices and map vineyard infrastructure.
• Scout pests and diseases and help establish treatment thresholds for specific pests.
• Assist with harvest activities including maturity sampling, harvest equipment preparation and quality control of mechanically and hand-harvested fruit.

Grower Outreach

Location: Lodi, CA

Grower Outreach interns engage in a diverse range of activities from executing vineyard trials, developing educational materials, and vineyard data collection. They also participate industry meetings and training sessions, offering invaluable support to the Grower Relations team. Grower Outreach participates in activities throughout the San Joaquin Valley, North Coast, and Central Coast leading to well-rounded viticulture exposure and hands on experience.

A Taste of What You’ll Do

• Use GIS technology to recommend precision-farming practices and map vineyard infrastructure.
• Measure vine physiology to track impacts on yield and quality.
• Assist with harvest activities including maturity sampling, hand harvesting research trials, and data collection.
• Support outreach activities such as field days, meetings, etc.

Precision Viticulture Research

Locations: Modesto and Healdsburg, CA

Interns assist with research projects and production support initiatives focused on the development, evaluation and commercialization of precision agriculture practices, and new technologies for wine grape production. The objective of this research is to improve yield, fruit composition, and wine quality. This work is closely linked to and supported by other Winegrowing Research disciplines, our internal production partners, and external research collaborators from industry and academia.

A Taste of What You’ll Do

• Assist with a wide variety of field experiments, including precision irrigation, mechanization, spatial vineyard management, and the application of data analytics.
• Develop, test, and validate new technologies for improved vineyard management.
• Collect fruit samples and determine vine yield components at harvest.
• Data entry, data configuration, and statistical analyses.

Grape Breeding Research

Location: Madera, CA

Interns assist in projects focused on grapevine improvement, including grape breeding, phenotyping, sensory evaluation of fruit, fruit maturity monitoring and sampling, and harvest for yield component measurements. Work is closely linked to and supported by other Winegrowing Research disciplines, our internal production partners, and external research collaborators from industry and academia.

A Taste of What You’ll Do

• Phenotyping for traits such as leaf shape, fruitfulness, cluster architecture, clusters per vine, berries per cluster, berry size and skin and flesh color.
• Fruit sampling for maturity tracking and for research winemaking
• Tissue collection for genetic evaluation of breeding progenies.
• Measurement of grapevine yield components and sampling for fruit quality at harvest.

What You’ll Need

• Currently enrolled at a college or university and working towards a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree OR have obtained a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in the following areas: School of Life Sciences, School of Agricultural Sciences, School of Engineering, or Ag Business Degree (Social sciences degrees are not eligible for this internship, such as psychology, sociology, etc).
• Available for the entire duration of the internship program area(s) of interest.
• Candidate is required to have a valid driver’s license, a safe driving record and reliable vehicle (if applicable) at the time of hire. This position will undergo a motor vehicle check (MVR) to confirm a history of safe and responsible driving. If needed, candidate must obtain the appropriate state driver’s license based on the position’s location within 30 days of hire.
• Required to drive to and from varying ranch locations up to 30% of the time.
• Required to lift and move up to 40 lbs. when necessary.
• Requires availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays when necessary.
• Required to be 21 years of age.
• Strong applied technical skills and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Required to be 18 years or older. This may be in addition to other age requirements, if applicable, as listed in this job description.

How You’ll Stand Out

• Junior or Senior class standing at a college or university and working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Plant Science, Ag Business, Horticulture, Viticulture, or Enology. OR working towards a Master’s degree in the school of Life Sciences, Engineering, Agricultural Sciences or Business.
• Skilled at working with individuals from diverse and varied backgrounds.
• General viticulture knowledge.
• Grape pest and disease identification.
• Computer skills: Microsoft Office, Excel, Statistical Analysis (MiniTab, SAS), GPS Mapping and ArcGIS at a basic level.

To view a full job description, please click here.

Compensation

• Hiring Salary Range Posted: $22.50 - $26.00 / hour

Our Benefits & Perks

We are committed to providing competitive compensation, perks, and a work-life balance supporting your well-being. Benefits depend on your work category and may include medical and dental coverage, 401k plans, profit sharing, pet insurance, company holidays, access to an employee wine shop, and more! Additional information will be provided before your first interview.

The Fine Print

• Gallo does not sponsor for employment-based visas for this position now or in the future.
• Actual compensation paid within the range will be determined by factors such as the education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.
• In addition to the salary, this position may be eligible for bonuses and incentive plans, as applicable.
• This position will be based in the location(s) specified in the job posting and requires working on-site with no telecommuting option. You will be expected to live within a commutable distance.