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2016
SALARY SURVEY REPORT
Kerana Todorov

BASE SALARIES IN THE wine industry showed a slight increase in

FIGURE 1 Average Increase in Base Salaries (year-to-year)
the past year, with more than half of all jobs offering higher pay than the
year prior, according to the latest results of Wine Business Monthlys annual 6.0
5.5
5.4%
Salary Survey. The 2016 survey analyzed two dozen wine industry positions,
and results indicate base salaries increased by 2.8 percent over the past 5.0 4.7%
4.5 4.1% 4.1%
Percent Increase

year. In 2015, the survey reported annual base salary growth had dipped to
4.0
1.4 percent from a high of 5.4 percent a year earlier (F I G U R E 1 ).
3.5
Weve had a great year so far, said Hank Teahen, CEO of Teahen Group, 3.1%
3.0 2.8%
a national and international wine recruiting firm based in Temecula in 2.5 2.3%
Southern California. I think the industry is very healthy. 2.0 2.4%
At the same time, the number of positions that received pay increases 1.5
declined. In 2016, a little more than 53 percent of the positions surveyed 1.0 1.3% 1.4%
experienced an increase in base pay, compared to 58 percent the previous year. 0.5

The average salaries for five major positions industry-widewine- 0

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
makers 1 and 2, vice president of sales, tasting room manager and vineyard
Source: 2016 WBM Salary Survey
managersall experienced an increase in average salaries (F I G U R E 2 ).
Vice president of sales jobs continued to experience the biggest salary growth:
12.7 percent over the previous year. A year ago, companies increased the pay of 2016 Trends
vice president sales positions by 7.1 percent. Vineyard managers pay over the Wine industry recruiters report they remain busy recruiting for wine
past year increased the least, a mere 1.2 percent. Winemaker 1 and 2 positions companies large and small. Overall, they say the wine industry continues
saw salary job growth of 5.5 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. to thrive.
We continue to see salaries increase, particularly in the regional manage-
ment positions in the major states nationally and the highly sought-after key
account manager retail chain positions, said Teahen. Regional managers in
significant wine marketsCalifornia, Florida, New York and Texashave
E D I T O R S N O T E : Winemaker 1 positions are those more tactical in a major influence on wine consumption in the United States, and wineries
nature and require fewer years of experience. Winemaker 2 positions are willing to pay a premium for those professional and disciplined regional
are the more senior, strategic, higher-paid positions. managers. Those managers could easily be offered 15 percent more than
other regional managers, Teahen added.

68 October 2016 WBM

FIGURE 2: Average Base Salaries (All winery sizes)

Annual Base Pay

(in thousands of dollars)

Winemaker
$K 1 & 2 Combined Winemaker 1 Winemaker 2 Vice President Sales Tasting Room Manager Vineyard Manager
$260
$250
$240
$230
$220
$210
$200
$190
$180
$170
$160 W1 salaries W2 salaries
$150 up 5 .5% up 3 .2% salaries up 5 .9% salaries up 1 .2%
$140
$130
$120 salaries up 12 .7%
$110
$100
$90
$80
$70
$60
$50
$40
$30
$20
$10
$0
07 08 09 10 11* 12 13 14 15 16 11* 12 13 14 15 16 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Year Year Year Year Year Year

* Since 2011 winemaker data is split into winemaker 1 (left) and winemaker 2 (right) Source: 2016 WBM Salary Survey

Amy Gardner, president of Wine Talent in Sacramento, said she sees

the highest number of requests for chief financial officers, directors of
winemaking, general managers and national sales managers. The more chal- The bottom line in Napa and Sonoma
lenging positions to fill include chief financial officers, directors of finance is the cost of living has gone up
and controllers, she said. Often industry experience is required, and a CPA
is ideal, Gardner said. The pool of talent just is not that large. exponentially. An interesting question
Most of the potential candidates are employed, she and others said. It defi-
nitely is all about networking and being proactive in finding and contacting
is, are Mendocino and Lake county
potential candidates, Gardner said. wineries going to be more attractive for
Dawn Bardessono, owner of Benchmark Consulting in Napa, said she is
filling a variety of positions, including e-commerce and direct-to-consumer, jobs because its cheaper to live there?
general manager and finance roles. Why does she love the wine industry? Its Is this an opportunity for them to attract
like a Rubiks Cube. Its constantly changing, Bardessono said.
Tom Hill, president of Hill & Associates in Napa, said the wine industry is better people?
healthy overall. Wineries continue to hire though the demand has slowed a Donna Parker, WinePro Recruiters International
bit. People are staying put with their current companies and being cautious
about making changes, he said.
Professionals who are happily employed have a lot to consider before and Lake county wineries going to be more attractive for jobs because its
making a move, including compensation and benefits. People need to be cheaper to live there? Is this an opportunity for them to attract better people?
presented with a better compensation package, including benefits, in most Candidates do not only consider base salaries. Benefits, including medical,
cases, to consider leaving their current employer, Hill said. dental and life insurance coverage, have become more important in the last
Yet he, like other recruiters, such as Courtney Andrain, co-owner of The year than ever to candidates, Parker said. Obamacare aint cheap.
Cypress Group in the Napa Valley, remain very busy. However, Parker said employees most often want to change jobs because of
Salaries are on the rise for some of the positions, said Andrain, whose the way they are treated at their current company. Its rarely about money,
clients sell premium and ultra-premium wines. Right now the business is she said.
healthy, she said. Carolyn Silvestri, principal at The Personnel Perspective in Santa Rosa,
Donna Parker, owner of WinePro Recruiters International in Santa Rosa, Calif., recruits for positions that pay up to nearly $200,000 a year. Acqui-
Calif., said salaries have not gone up as much as the cost of living in wine sitions are being made, and the overall mood tends to be very positive,
country. The bottom line in Napa and Sonoma is the cost of living has gone Silvestri said.
up exponentially, Parker said. An interesting question is, are Mendocino The wine industry seems very healthy, she added.

WBM October 2016 69

 2016
SALARY SURVEY REPORT

FIGURE 3: Average Base Salaries for Wineries Producing Fewer than 50,000 Annual Cases

CASE PRODUCTION < 2,499 2,500 - 4,999 5,000 - 9,999 10,000 to 24,999 25,000 to 49,999

Top Sales
(executive VP Sales/ $61,736 $71,724 $64,381 $84,009 $102,104
national sales manager)

Winemaker 1 $57,886 $83,460 $94,895 $93,674 $104,306

Vineyard Manager $51,472 $55,317 $58,872 $62,056 $65,091

Oce Manager $53,288 $58,826 $61,114 $63,390 $60,946

Tasting Room Manager $38,723 $43,225 $50,711 $50,105 $52,852

Wine Club Manager $42,369 $43,626 $47,033 $45,337 $52,969

2016 WBM SALARY SURVEY

Major Salary Categories

The following sections examine salaries of positions at wineries that produce People are staying put with their
fewer than 50,000 cases a year to companies that produce more than 500,000
cases annually.
current companies and being cautious
The breakdown charts show average and median salaries for jobs that include about making changes. People need to
sales and marketing, wine production and vineyard manager positions.
F I G U R E 3 highlights key positions at small wineriesthose that produce
be presented with a better compensation
fewer than 50,000 cases a yeartop sales, winemaker 1, vineyard manager, package, including benefits, in most
office manager, tasting room manager and wine club manager. (Editors note:
The data illustrated in this chart was obtained from a separate respondent cases, to consider leaving their current
group than the other charts. A good majority of the roughly 8,700 wineries in the
United States produce less than 50,000 cases. In order to better represent small
employer.
Tom Hill, Hill & Associates
winery salaries, Wine Business Monthly sent the survey to small wineries that

were not included in the Western Management Group survey.

FIGURE 4 Winemaker 1 and Winemaker 2
The data from the WBM survey generally increased as the size
2013-2016 Annual Base Pay by Winery Size
of the wineries increased is reflected only in F I G U R E 3 )
% DIFF IN According to the report, base salaries at small wineries
Winemaker 1 2013 2014 2015 2016 LAST YEAR
for all but one of the six positions surveyed were
CASE PRODUCTION the highest at wineries that produce 25,000 to 49,999
Under 50,000 $92,545 $98,552 $98,806 $116,398 18% cases annually. Winemaker 1 positions paid the most
50,000 to 99,999 $99,736 $99,613 $106,317 $108,019 2% $104,306 (F I G U R E 3 ).
F I G U R E 2 lists salaries for winemaker 1 and 2, vice pres-
100,000 to 499,999 $106,606 $106,999 $95,141 $100,008 5%
ident of sales, tasting room manager and vineyard manager
Over 500,000 $93,714 $93,966 $94,758 $92,146 -3%
at all winery sizes.
F I G U R E 4 highlights annual base pay for winemaker 1
% DIFF IN and winemaker 2 by winery sizethose producing fewer
Winemaker 2 2013 2014 2015 2016 LAST YEAR
than 50,000 cases, 50,000 to 99,999 cases, 100,000 to 499,999
CASE PRODUCTION
cases and more than 500,000 cases. Winemaker 1 positions
Under 50,000 $115,587 $120,435 $120,191 $129,891 8% at wineries that produce under 50,000 cases saw the biggest
50,000 to 99,999 $134,580 $134,021 $127,531 $134,895 6% salary increase since 2015: 18 percent. Winemaker 2 at
100,000 to 499,999 $128,144 $124,798 $141,827 $136,644 -4% wineries that produce 100,000 to 499,999 were paid the
Over 500,000 $110,850 $115,121 $111,523 $115,488 4%
most: $136,644 a year. However, they also experienced a
4 percent decrease in pay over the past year.
2016 WBM SALARY SURVEY

70 October 2016 WBM

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SALARY SURVEYREPORT

Winemaking winemakers are willing to travel outside of California, Oregon, Washington,

then theres a lot of opportunity for them, Bardessono added.
Salaries for winemaker 1 and 2 positions increased at small wineries this
Andrain, whose clients in Napa and Sonoma sell premium/ultra-premium
year, more so than in 2015. Small boutique wineries that sell wine at a
and luxury wine, said there are fewer winemaking jobs because of the consol-
higher price point will pay more for a winemaker and vineyard manager,
idation in the wine industry. There arent so many new wineries, she added.
according to Parker, of WinePro Recruiters International. Thats just the
Its been a quiet year, she said, referring to the demand for winemakers.
way it works, she said. Salaries are more tied to the bottle price than they
were before.
Winemakers are more and more the spokesperson for the brand, she
said. In my 30 years, Ive definitely seen winemaking more involved in the
vineyard, and winemakers are happy about that, she said. Enologist 2
Winemaking directors average pay was $156,371, a 6.2 percent decrease
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
over the past year. Cellar workers took home the least amount of money:
Under 50,000 $63,639 $65,088
their average paycheck was slightly less than $40,000. Overall, their salaries
100,000 to 499,999 $55,792 $55,000
only saw a 0.9 percent increase from 2015. Increasingly, Parker said, wineries
Over 500,000 $60,480 $60,001
are promoting cellar personnel to assistant winemakers because they can pay
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $59,970
them less and they have the hands-on experience.
Winemaking remains a very competitive field, recruiters said. Theres Lab Technician 2
too many winemakers for this area, Bardessono said in her Napa office. If
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

100,000 to 499,999 $43,780 $42,120

Over 500,000 $40,028 $39,520
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $41,904

Winemaking Lab Manager

CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
Assistant Winemaker 100,000 to 499,999 $91,323 $81,597
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY Over 500,000 $87,439 $83,000
Under 50,000 $72,205 $70,632 AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $89,381
50,000 to 99,999 $74,045 $72,100
100,000 to 499,999 $76,038 $71,857 Cellar Worker 2
Over 500,000 $71,633 $71,000 CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $73,480 Under 50,000 $38,202 $37,440

50,000 to 99,999 $40,474 $40,560
Winemaker 1 100,000 to 499,999 $39,631 $39,520
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY Over 500,000 $41,194 $39,664
Under 50,000 $116,398 $115,022 AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $39,875
50,000 to 99,999 $108,019 $110,000
100,000 to 499,999 $100,008 $101,287 Cellar Master
Over 500,000 $92,146 $90,700 CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $104,143 Under 50,000 $61,816 $61,662

50,000 to 99,999 $73,165 $77,002
Winemaker 2 100,000 to 499,999 $79,325 $80,000
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY Over 500,000 $84,404 $85,233
Under 50,000 $129,891 $116,520 AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $74,678
50,000 to 99,999 $134,895 $137,189 Case production categories with < 5 responses have been omitted.
100,000 to 499,999 $136,644 $125,000
Over 500,000 $115,488 $115,000 Enologist 2
Under limited supervision, conducts and analyzes laboratory/quality control
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $129,230
tests. Supervise workers in the crushing and fermentation process, following
legal and regulatory practices and record-keeping requirements. In smaller
Winemaking Director
operations, they may do these processing duties themselves.
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
Lab Technician 2
Under 50,000 $144,378 $142,873
Under limited supervision, conducts and analyzes laboratory/quality control
50,000 to 99,999 $170,751 $170,000 tests. This is not an entry level position.
100,000 to 499,999 $160,699 $159,906
Cellar Worker 2
Over 500,000 $149,655 $145,117
Under limited supervision, performs various work assignments. May direct less
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $156,371 skilled workers. May assist in the training of less skilled workers. Sterilizes cask,
tanks and other equipment.

72 October 2016 WBM

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WBM October 2016 73

 2016
SALARY SURVEYREPORT

Vice President of Sales

As the number of distributors continue to shrink (thanks to consolidation), Sales & Marketing
wineries are increasingly forced to hire sales managers, who are able to
effectively compete to put wine on shelves. Vice President Sales
Sales and marketing professionals must know distributors, restaurants CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
and brokers. This has always been a relationship business, always, from the 100,000 to 499,999 $258,362 $214,193
very beginning in America, Parker said. And its more important that you Over 500,000 $244,443 $230,630
have a wide variety of relationships because of the distributor consolidation AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $251,403
movement.
Its a very hard job, national sales manager, regional sales manager. Its a Vice President Marketing
really hard job, added Parker. But they get paid well for it. CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
Of all the main positions in the wine industry, vice president of sales 100,000 to 499,999 $174,837 $178,762
positions continue to garner the highest salaries. Vice president of sales Over 500,000 $202,916 $185,000
pay reached $251,403 and grew by nearly 13 percent over the previous year. AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $188,877
Major account managers were paid nearly $134,900 on average, the same as
in 2015. Sales representatives salaries averaged more than $69,600 a yearor Major Account Manager
4.5 percent more than a year ago. Public relations directors earned about CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
$106,600, a 7.9 percent decrease over the previous year. Bonuses, across all 100,000 to 499,999 $140,419 $143,419
positions, have remained stable, with little fluctuation from 2015, according Over 500,000 $127,334 $130,000
to the recruiters surveyed. AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $134,877
Distribution consolidation really drives everything, said Parker, referring
to winery budgets. Distributors dont want to take on the responsibility of Public Relations Director
building a brand. CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

According to Hill, distributors prefer to deal with larger wineries to project 100,000 to 499,999 $101,257 $91,076
long-term sales and profits. It goes both ways, he said. Larger wineries Over 500,000 $112,012 $110,000
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $106,635
Federal law already requires that publicly-traded companies, such as
Constellation Brands Inc. and Diageo PLC must disclose the compen- Sales Representative
sation of their top executives, including its chief executive officers. CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

Beginning Jan. 1, these companies must also calculate and publish the 100,000 to 499,999 $85,494 $88,000
ratio of the compensation of their CEOs to that of their employees. Over 500,000 $53,797 $52,150
The new rule under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $69,646
Consumer Protection Act will provide information to shareholders on
how to assess CEOs compensation, according to proponents of the Case production categories with < 5 responses have been omitted.
new pay-ratio disclosure. The pay ratio has to be included in various
documents submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC), including registration statements and annual reports that include
CEO compensation data. are willing to invest more in their own sales force to provide support for
The SEC approved the pay-ratio disclosure rule in August 2015. successful sales teams.
Companies have to determine the median pay of their workers Teahen, of Teahen Group, said regional managers in significant markets,
to calculate the pay ratio by considering all their employees or by such as California, Florida, New York, Illinois and Texas, have a major influ-
calculating a statistical sample of their workers. ence on the U.S. wine consumption.
Most employees are to be considered to determine the pay-ratio The other recruitment growth area is for key account managers retail.
disclosure, including full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal, and U.S. These managers are responsible for developing and managing regional and/
and non U.S. workers. or national relationships in the retail channel, i.e., Costco, Kroger, Tom
Companies may exclude up to 5 percent of its total employees who Thumb, Albertsons and Publix.These managers can be critical to a brands
are based outside the United States. If these employees are in the growth because one successful sales call can lead to multiple placements
same country, all the workers in that jurisdiction have to be excluded. across multiple states, Teahen said.
According to the new pay ratio disclosure rules, companies identify The skills for marketing personnel include wine knowledge and marketing
its median employees once every three years. experience within the wine industry or other consumer packaged goods.
According to Deloitte, if the median total compensation of a Usually, they will have a degree in marketing or an MBA as well, Hill said.
companys is $50,000 and the CEOs is $2.5 million, then the CEOs The skills of sales jobs include strong wine knowledge, industry sales expe-
compensation is 50 times that of the annual compensation of all its rience, ability to manage distributors and the ability to open new business
employees. with all avenues of the trade to include both on- and off-premise, Hill said.
Companies are required to describe the methodology used to Bardessono said candidates do come from non-wine industry companies,
evaluate the pay ratio. such as Procter & Gamble or Clorox. They dont want to market toothbrushes

74 October 2016 WBM

 WINE RECRUITING MARKETPLACE

Administrative
Chief Executive Officer
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

Under 50,000 $214,893 $178,500

50,000 to 99,999 $274,001 $281,240
100,000 to 499,999
Over 500,000
$312,562
$423,998
$310,000
$264,000
The Right
$306,364

People for
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES

President

the Job
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

Under 50,000 $210,372 $214,000

100,000 to 499,999 $304,426 $288,601
Over 500,000 $343,728 $331,770
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $286,175

General Manager
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

Under 50,000 $188,281 $168,300

100,000 to 499,999 $156,339 $149,105
Over 500,000 $190,626 $200,000
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $178,415 916-802-1280
amy@winetalent.net
Controller
WineTalent.net AMY GARDNER
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY President
Under 50,000 $109,332 $95,000
50,000 to 99,999 $143,625 $139,834
100,000 to 499,999 $134,938 $135,000
Over 500,000 $154,324 $155,000
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $135,555

Human Resources Director

CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

100,000 to 499,999 $118,914 $125,000

Over 500,000 $146,700 $123,600
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $132,807
Case production categories with < 5 responses have been omitted.

anymore. They want something that has a story and passion and intrigue,
Bardessono said. Marketing, for example, for the first time in many years, is
starting to come back into demand.
Andrain, of The Cypress Group, said her clients are acutely aware of the
opportunity and the challenges in this current business environment and
recognize the importance of strategic vision and tactical execution.
They are seeking the talent and rewarding the talent that sees where the
puck is moving and can help their business thrive and stay ahead of the curve.
They recognize that their businesses are propelled forward by their people.
Boutique wineries want candidates with experience because unlike large
wine production companies they lack training programs, recruiters said.
The smaller the winery, the lesser the resources, the less time to train,
Bardessono said.
Recruiters said they continue to enlist sales and marketing candidates
for companies based in Asia, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and South
America. These companies usually want representatives to sell their wines in
the United States.

WBM October 2016 75

 2016
SALARY SURVEY REPORT

SUPPORT RESEARCH Direct-to-Consumer

A N D W I N E INDUSTRY Direct-to-consumer jobs surveyed included tasting room manager, tasting
NEEDS THROUGH THE room staff, wine club manager and special events coordinator. Tasting room
manager jobs averaged the most: $66,480 a year, a 5.9 percent increase over
AM ER I CA N VI N E YA R D FOUN DAT I O N
a year ago, while their staff were paid the least: about $32,800 a year or 2
percent less than in 2015.
Special events coordinators were paid on average $51,250, 2.9 percent more

Finding
than in 2015. Wine club managers salaries averaged $63,700, a 0.5 percent
decrease over the previous year.
I believe in many cases these jobs are combined and theyre making
more, said Parker, whose clients usually are small to medium size wineries.

Solutions
For example, wine club managers are often tasked with many of the same
jobs a special events coordinator would organize.
Bardessono said candidates for tasting room staff positions and wine club
managers include people with retail backgrounds with such companies as

Through
Williams-Sonoma, where customers are greeted as soon as they walk into the
door. Those kind of people are an easy transition into wine because as soon
as you walk into a winery you want to be acknowledged.

Research
There are not enough really good DTC, wine club, retail strategy-oriented
candidates with wine industry experience, she said.

Direct-to-Consumer
Wine Club Manager
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

Under 50,000 $55,568 $55,619

NEW WINE VARIETIES 50,000 to 99,999 $67,633 $65,325
Dr. Matthew Fidelibus alternative San 100,000 to 499,999 $70,196 $71,430
Joaquin Valley grape variety trials Over 500,000 $61,435 $59,489
consist of 56 unique selections that AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $63,708

identify a number of atypical red and Tasting Room Manager

white cultivars that produce attractive CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

wines with good yields in Region 5 Under 50,000 $61,843 $60,008

50,000 to 99,999 $69,786 $68,183
climatic conditions. Constellation Wines
100,000 to 499,999 $68,205 $68,601
has cooperated with this work making Over 500,000 $66,085 $67,491
wine from many of these selections AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $66,480
and having them available for tasting Tasting Room Staff
at regional presentations. For more CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
information visit AVF.org or contact Under 50,000 $32,130 $31,200
Dr. Fidelibus at mwfidelibus@ucanr.edu. 50,000 to 99,999 $35,664 $36,067
100,000 to 499,999 $32,731 $33,280
Over 500,000 $30,717 $29,120
For a wealth of useful viticulture and enology research and information, AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $32,811
visit AVF.org, ngr.ucdavis.edu, asev.org, iv.ucdavis.edu, or ngwi.org
Special Events Coordinator
CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY
AM ERICAN V I N EYA R D FOUN D AT I O N Under 50,000 $57,339 $52,000
P.O. Box 5779, Napa, CA., 94581 50,000 to 99,999 $53,627 $53,560
T: (707) 252-6911 100,000 to 499,999 $47,151 $44,721
Visit our web site at www.avf.org for information Over 500,000 $46,881 $44,720
$51,250
on funding and current research projects AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES

Case production categories with < 5 responses have been omitted.

76 October 2016 WBM

 Winery Hiring Remains Strong in 2016
Wineries continued to bolster their sales, marketing and direct-to-
consumer (DTC) teams in 2016, according to the most recent data
report released by Winejobs.com.
Winejobs.com is a resource for both job seekers and employers.
Since the online job board is specific to the wine industry, retailers
will find only the most serious and qualified job candidates. More
than 4,200 winery jobs have been posted so far in 2016. The
Winejobs.com Index provides a way to measure and compare trends Dedicated to the Potential
in the wine job market. in your wines
Year to date, postings for all winery jobs on the industrys leading
job site increased 6 percent in January 2016 to July 2016, compared
BioSystems Enzymatic Reagents and Analyzers
with the same time frame in 2015. Wineries were most actively hiring
in June 2016, posting 729 job listings that month. Candidates in the
cellar/lab/production and direct-to-consumer/tasting room fields were
most sought after that month.
DTC, tasting room and retail positions at wineries saw the greatest
growth in postings, up 17 percent year to date. Increases for sales and
marketing jobs were second, up 11 percent. Winemaking positions, on www.admeo.us
the other hand, were down 2 percent.

winejobs.com
Silvestri said wineries are hiring managers with a luxury hospital back-
ground, who bring fresh, creative ideas to their wineries. I think they will
always be looking for the newest tends, she said of her clients.
Each winery wants to provide a unique experience, Silvestri said.

Vineyard Manager
Vineyard manager salaries overall increased by 1.2 percent over the past
year, to about $92,200. Vineyard managers who work for wineries that
produce less than 50,000 cases were paid the most: about $100,700 a year
(F I G U R E 4 ). Those working at large-size wine production companies with
more than 500,000 cases a year received smaller paychecks. They were paid
about $85,900 a year.
Vineyard managers who work for wineries that produce less than 50,000
cases a year earned the most money annually if they worked for companies Call 831-524-0017 or email mads.svenningsen@admeo.us
that produce between 25,000 and 49,000 cases per year, according to the
separate, small winery salary data; these managers were paid about $65,000
a year (F I G U R E 3 ).
A winery that produces fewer than 2,499 cases a year on average paid
vineyard managers the least, about $51,500 a year, according to the survey Vineyard Manager
(F I G U R E 3 ).
Parker said vineyard managers salaries in California in general are trending Vineyard Manager
upwards. Its very brand-driven, she said. CASE PRODUCTION AVERAGE SALARY MEDIAN SALARY

Candidates need to have vineyard and managerial experience. They also Under 50,000 $100,723 $94,390
need business skills, a trend that has evolved over the past five years. These 50,000 to 99,999 $87,304 $80,000
skills include knowing how to do spreadsheets, data manipulation and make 100,000 to 499,999 $94,985 $96,349
projections, including harvest projections. Over 500,000 $85,924 $86,500
AVERAGE OF ALL WINERY SIZES $92,234

Case production categories with < 5 responses have been omitted.

WBM October 2016 77

 2016
SALARY SURVEY REPORT

Regional Breakout: United States

This years regional breakout for the Salary Survey Report finds that salaries While people appreciate the fantastic weather, vibrant economy and
paid in Californias wine country in all but one of the categories are higher quality of life in California, home prices are much higher than most of the
than in the rest of the country. country, and not everyone is willing to make the sacrifice for the benefits
The survey examined salaries nationwide and for 11 regions: Napa, California offers, Chuharski said.
Sonoma, Central Coast, other areas in California, Washington state, Oregon, If they are willing to make that change, we often see that candidates are
Northwest, Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific (F I G U R E 5 ). looking for anywhere from a 20 to 40 percent increase in compensation to
The six major jobs surveyed are winemaker, top sales executive, tasting offset the cost of living (unless they are coming from a similarly expensive
room manager, vineyard manager, wine club manager and office manager. market, like New York City).
Salaries in Californias wine country generally outpace other regions. Winemakers nationwide are paid about $89,000 on average while in
Moving to a location with a much higher cost of living such as California, Napa, where the median price of a single-family house this summer neared
New York or Chicago, can be a challenge, said John Chuharski, managing $600,000, winemakers earn on average more than $104,000. According to the
partner with Wine & Spirits Recruiting in Corte Madera, California. Cali- survey, Sonoma winemakers were paid nearly $98,900.
fornias high cost of living limits the candidate pool for people coming from Tasting room managers in Napa average nearly $61,600; wine club
lower cost-of-living regions. managers, about $57,200; vineyard managers, more than $78,100; and officer
managers nearly $70,300.

FIGURE 5: 2016 Annual Base Pay by Position, Region and Winery Size (Under 50,000 cases)
Tasting Room Wine Club Vineyard
Region Winemaker Top Sales Manager Manager Manager Office Manager

Nationwide $89,441 $76,196 $49,180 $47,209 $64,178 $60,672

Napa $104,026 $90,074 $61,584 $57,198 $78,142 $70,276

Sonoma $98,868 $87,587 $54,056 $53,014 $65,239 $62,605

California Other $85,675 $77,011 $44,370 $46,380 $63,088 $59,438

Central Coast $87,019 $72,083 $43,204 $42,885 $64,836 $60,928

Washington $80,155 $80,673 $42,145 $44,900 $60,598 $61,094

Oregon $88,729 $94,500 $42,657 $47,205 N O D ATA $61,699

Northwest $89,508 $82,033 $42,311 $43,030 $65,667 $56,019

Midwest $65,000 $40,750 $42,357 $37,000 N O D ATA $49,286

Northeast $52,013 $44,230 $35,639 N O D ATA $42,413 $48,075

Mid-Atlantic $73,308 $46,500 $46,143 $43,030 $41,138 $46,815

Pacific $93,672 $80,232 $51,489 $49,504 $70,425 $63,325

SOURCE: 2016 WBM Salary Survey and Western Management Group (see Methodology for regional descriptions).

The Obama administration this year unveiled new federal rules that boost Federal officials stress employers are not required to convert salaried
the wages of about 4.2 million salaried workers. employees to hourly workers in order to calculate overtime pay.
Under the new requirements, which become effective Dec. 1, California employers already pay overtime wages to exempt workers
employees who earn less than $47,476 a year, or $913 a week, receive earning less than $41,600 a year. Under state law, workers are also
overtime premium pay if they work more than 40 hours a week. The eligible for overtime pay if they work more than eight hours a day.
current threshold is $23,660 a year, or $455 a week. The new thresholds Retail and food service managerial positions are expected to be the
will be updated every three years. most affected. Most wine salaried executives earn more than the $47,476
Employers options include either paying employees time-and-a-half annual salary threshold.
more for overtime work, boosting employees salaries to the new According to the latest Wine Business Monthly Salary Survey,
$47,476 threshold to retain the workers exempt status, or limiting their employees who earn less than $47,476 a year include tasting room staff
employees work week to 40 hours or eight hours a day. and cellar workers. The average salary of a tasting room employee was
about $33,000 a year and that of a cellar worker, about $40,000.

78 October 2016 WBM

Conclusion
Recruiting firms are overall optimistic about the wine industry. Hill said
salaries are stable. The consumer base is stable, and the demand for quality
wine remains strong, Hill added.
Parker said the wine industry is healthy. So far, weve stayed away from any
big problems in the vineyards. Were managing the climate change. Other
than the distributor consolidation challenge, people are buying wine and the
price of wines has gone up. But theyre buying, she said. WBM

Recruiters City, CA Website

Benchmark Consulting Napa www.benchmarkhr.com

Bolt Staffing Service Sonoma www.boltstaffing.com

Hill & Associates Napa www.bestwinejobs.com

HR Terroir Consulting St. Helena www.hrterroir.com

Stefan Professional
Santa Rosa www.stefanrecruiting.com
Recruiting

The Cypress Group Rutherford www.cypress-grp.com

The Moranda Search

Santa Rosa www.morandasearch.com
Group
The Personnel
Santa Rosa www.personnelperspective.com
Perspective
The Stevensville Group Healdsburg www.stevensvillegroup.com

The Teahen Group Temecula 951-587-2675

Twisted Search Group Santa Rosa www.twistedsearch.com

Wine & Spirits
Corte Madera www.winerecruiting.com
Recruiting
Wine Pro Recruiters
Santa Rosa www.wineprorecruiters.com
International

Winejobs.com Sonoma www.winejobs.com

Wine Talent Sacramento www.winetalent.net

BevForce New York www.bevforce.com

The Mcdermott
Virginia www.themcdermottnetwork.com
Network

Methodology:
For this survey, Wine Business Monthly partnered with an independent consulting
firm that specializes in compensation and salary surveys. The firm, Western
Management Group, in Los Gatos, California, has conducted this salary survey
since 1991. For more information, visit www.wmgnet.com or call 408-399-4900 x
228, Donna Bowman Survey Director.
The data was collected with an effective date of February 1, 2016. (Data is based
on annual cash payments earned for the most recent completed plan year.)
For the under 50,000 cases data, this survey polled 334 wineries: 20.0 percent
of the surveyed wineries produce fewer than 2,499 cases, 25.3 percent produce
between 2,500 and 4,999 cases, 23.7 percent produce between 5,000 and 9,999
cases, and 22.3 percent produce more than 10,000 cases to 24,999, and 8.7 percent
between 25,000 to 49,999.
Geographically, 27.9 percent of these respondents were from Napa County, 13.5
percent from Sonoma County, 25.4 percent from Californias Central Coast, 4.4
percent Other California, 6.3 percent Oregon, 3.3 percent Washington, and 19.2
percent from all other states.
Regions include the following states: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NC, SC, VA,
WV), Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI), Northeast
(CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT), Northwest (ID, OR, WA), California-Other (all
areas that are not Sonoma County, Napa Valley or Central Coast).

WBM October 2016 79