Intern

 

Interns will be placed at one of the many dynamic, entrepreneurial Cape Town area wineries depending on winery need and availability and the applicant's suitability.

According to Wines of South Africa (http://www.wosa.co.za): "The Cape wine growing areas, situated in the narrow viticulture zone of the southern hemisphere, mainly have a Mediterranean climate and the mountain slopes and valleys form the ideal habitat for the wine grape Vitis vinifera, the products of which have given pleasure to man for many centuries. Long, sun-drenched summers and mild, wet winters contribute to the ideal conditions for viticulture at the Cape... Liberated by the advent of democracy, the South African wine industry has grown by 335% between 1995 and 2007."

As in other New World countries, viticulturists are hard at work matching vine varieties to soils and meso-climates in order to achieve the best results. Vineyard life in South Africa is similar to Europe's although South Africa's viticultural year begins in September. While preparations for the vintage are being made in Europe, the vines in South Africa are just beginning to bud.

January in the Cape heralds the beginning of summer and, as the temperatures increase, early grape varieties begin to ripen. The bulk of the harvest takes place in February and the sugar/acid ratio of the grapes is checked daily so that each variety is harvested at optimum ripeness. In most South African vineyards harvesting is carried out by hand, although machines are used on some farms. The grapes are picked into baskets and transported in bins to the winery where vinification begins."

 

·         There are two separate internship possibilities within the Cape Town wineries.

o   As a marketing and business administrative intern, you will be involved in the process of marketing the wine label. You will also participate in the behind-the-scenes administrative process that keeps a wine estate operational. Wineries will occasionally host special events and interns will be expected to participate in such functions. Overall, this internship will give you a great feel for the inter-workings of a South African wine estate and the delicate task of marketing a wine label. Those who apply for this internship should enjoy working with a team and not hesitate to get their hands dirty when asked to do so. An intern should also appreciate the difference between a good and bad tasting wine!

o   The viticulture internship position is for an applicant interested in wine making. As a viticulture intern, you will participate in the grape harvest and experience the wine making process from vine to bottle. Since the harvest season takes place between January and April, this is a seasonal internship position. Similar to the marketing internship description, expect to gain a unique understanding of the wine making process that the normal wine aficionado will never experience.