507: How to Break Into Winemaking With Victor Schoenfeld, Golan Heights Winery [Espresso Shots]

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Victor Schoenfeld is the head winemaker at the Golan Heights Winery in Israel, the third largest winery in Israel. In the three decades he’s been at the winery, Victor has become a driving force in Israel’s emerging modern wine industry. Under his leadership, the winery has won numerous awards, including top honors as a Wine Spectator Top 100 Wine of the Year in 2008 and again in 2018. Golan Heights also received an award for having the best winery in the world in 2011, along with being recognized as a top 100 wine of the year 2014, all firsts for a winery from Israel. Victor is a pioneer in the application of new technology and winemaking techniques, including sophisticated weather predicting, irrigation management and green practices.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• How you can score an entry level job at a winery or vineyard without a degree (4:04)
• Why academic knowledge, strong Excel abilities, and being a team player are all important skills for potential winery employees (4:54)
• Why having an undergraduate degree gives you an advantage in getting a job at a winery (6:22)
• Why grad school isn’t necessary to work in the field, unless you didn’t study it as an undergrad (7:14) 
• Why wine growing is so complicated (hint: the quality of wine is dependent on lots of small parts and delicate conditions!) (8:13) 
• Why getting to see long term approaches develop and succeed is the best part of the job  (14:01) 
• How Java Junkies would be surprised to learn how much science is involved in winemaking (18:53)
• If you’re interested in learning more about what Victor does as head winemaker tune in to his main T4C interview #448