Viticulture Research Internship 2026

A Taste of What You'll Do Join our dynamic team as a Viticulture or Grape Breeding Research Intern and immerse yourself in the innovative world of wine grape production. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives drive our success. As an intern, you will play an integral role in advancing precision growing practices and cutting-edge technologies aimed at enhancing yield, fruit composition, and wine quality. Collaborate with experts from various Winegrowing Research disciplines, and engage with our internal partners and esteemed collaborators from industry. We invite individuals passionate about viticulture and grape breeding, who are eager to learn and contribute to the future of wine production, to apply. Embrace the chance to grow professionally and make a meaningful impact in a field that values innovation and collaboration. Plant Breeding Interns support the characterization of a wide variety of grapevine phenotypic traits including bud fruitfulness, cluster architecture, cluster and berry size, berry color and canopy structure. Tasks include field data collection, collection of tissues for genetic analysis, fruit sampling for maturity and compositional analyses, and the determination of vine yield components at harvest. Interns become familiar with a large number of diverse grape species and their specific attributes utilized for the genetic improvement of wine grape cultivars. Viticulture Interns Interns assist with a wide variety of vineyard experiments involving irrigation, canopy management, mechanization, spatial variability, and the application of data analytics for vineyard management. Tasks include field data collection, operation of sensors and field instrumentation for measuring vine water status and leaf gas exchange, fruit sampling and the determination of vine yield components at harvest. Interns are exposed to a wide variety of commercial wine grape growing practices, grape varieties, and wine grape production regions in California. 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.