Yes, it is spring and, like me, Vinoland's grapevines are suitably enthused. I spent most of the past four days making sure that the new, rapidly elongating shoots are securely tucked up behind the trellis wires. I love viticulture. I love farming the grapevines in Vinoland, but, at this stage in my life, I wouldn't want to pursue viticulture as a full time job. Things, and people, change.
TWWIAGE is in the process of hiring a viticulturist. The vacancy was just posted on Winejobs.com. It is a new position, as TWWIAGE has never had a dedicated viticulturist before. Instead, the owners of TWWIAGE went the traditional route of employing a vineyard manager who oversees all things grapey. But things change.
I would not be an eligible candidate for the job. Neither would my young coworker, The Doodler, who is in the process of working his way through UC Davis and has designs on making a career out of viticulture. Why? Well, The Doodler, like me, doesn't speak Spanish and, furthermore, has no particular desire to learn Spanish. But speaking Spanish is a requirement of being considered qualified to perform the job of viticulturist. As The Doodler commented, in wry observation, "California [Napa] is the only place where one has to learn a foreign language in order to get a job in one's own country." Thought provoking.
