Viticulture Research Internship

About the Role

Join GALLO as a Viticulture Research Intern from June to December 2027. This full-time, onsite position offers an opportunity to contribute to innovative wine grape production.

Key Responsibilities

• Placement Opportunities:
• Plant Breeding:
• Support the characterization of grapevine phenotypic traits including bud fruitfulness, cluster architecture, cluster and berry size, berry color, and canopy structure.
• Collect field data.
• Collect tissues for genetic analysis.
• Perform fruit sampling for maturity and compositional analyses.
• Determine vine yield components at harvest.
• Become familiar with diverse grape species and their attributes used for genetic improvement of wine grape cultivars.
• Viticulture Interns:
• Assist with vineyard experiments involving irrigation, canopy management, mechanization, spatial variability, and data analytics for vineyard management.
• Collect field data.
• Operate sensors and field instrumentation for measuring vine water status and leaf gas exchange.
• Perform fruit sampling and determine vine yield components at harvest.
• Gain exposure to commercial wine grape growing practices, grape varieties, and wine grape production regions in California.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Education: Currently enrolled at a college or university working towards a Bachelor's degree or Master's degree, OR have obtained a Bachelor's or Master's degree in the School of Life Sciences, School of Agricultural Sciences, School of Engineering, or Ag Business Degree.
• Social sciences degrees (e.g., psychology, sociology) are not eligible.
• Availability: Must be available for the entire duration of the internship (June - December 2027).
• Driver's License: Must possess a valid driver’s license, a safe driving record, and a reliable vehicle at the time of hire.
• Position will undergo a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check.
• May require obtaining the appropriate state driver’s license within 30 days of hire if needed.
• Driving: Required to drive to and from varying ranch locations up to 30% of the time.
• Physical Requirements: Required to lift and move up to 40 lbs. when necessary.
• Work Schedule: Requires availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays when necessary.
• Age: Must be 21 years of age.
• Skills:
• Strong applied technical skills.
• Strong analytical problem-solving skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills.

Qualifications

• 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 School of Life Sciences, School of Agricultural Sciences, School of Engineering, or Ag Business Degree.
• Available for the entire duration of the internship program.
• Possess a valid driver’s license, a safe driving record, and reliable vehicle.
• 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.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays when necessary.
• Must be 21 years of age.
• Strong applied technical skills and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills.

Additional Information

• Compensation: $24.00 - $28.00 / hour
• Duration: 6 months (June - December, 2027)
• Sponsorship: Not Available.
• Application Close Date: 11/15/2026. Applications will not be reviewed until this date.