Winemaking and Spirits Distillation Internship (July - December) 2027

Job Req ID: 107578

Job Type: Full-time

Work Category: Onsite,

Application Close Date: 11/15/2026

Sponsorship: Not Available

Compensation: $24.00 - $28.00 / hour

Duration: 6 months (July - December, 2027)

*Important Information*
Applications will not be reviewed until the application close date.
Candidates must be available for the entire duration of the internship to qualify.

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We are GALLO

We’re a family-owned company with a 90+ year legacy, that’s consistently recognized as a Glassdoor “Best Places to Work.” We have 130+ brands in our total alcohol beverage portfolio including wine, malt, spirits, and ready-to-drink beverages. We’re home to the #1 wine and spirits brands in the U.S. - Barefoot Wine & High Noon and are the official sponsors of the NFL, NHL, UFC, and PGA of America.

View our Corporate Values and Mission Statement here.

A Taste of What You'll Do

Build hands-on experience in winemaking, research winemaking, spirits distillation, or enology research with GALLO. During this six-month internship, you will work alongside experienced professionals, gain technical training, and contribute to the production and research behind a diverse portfolio of wines and spirits.

Depending on your placement, you may support commercial-scale winemaking, produce small-lot research wines, assist with spirits production, or help execute enology research projects. Your work may include monitoring fermentations, supporting grape receiving and processing, conducting bench and production trials, collecting and documenting data, evaluating process improvements, and participating in sensory evaluations.

You will contribute to corporate initiatives and research projects while developing your own project to present to Gallo’s management team at the end of the internship. Opportunities are available at select California production sites, with programs running from July through December. Join a collaborative environment where curiosity, technical problem-solving, and continuous improvement help shape the future of wine and spirits.

Placement Opportunities:

Winemaking Interns assist with production winemaking at the commercial scale at one of our wineries in Modesto, Fresno, or Livingston.

Research Winemaking Interns assist with the production of small-lots – with volumes ranging from 10-gallons to 1,000-gallons – at either Modesto, or Livingston.

Spirits Distillation Interns assist with the commercial production of brandy, whiskey, rum, flavored vodkas, hard seltzers, and other spirits at either Modesto, Livingston, or Fresno, CA.

Enology Research Interns assist with the execution of enology research projects that contribute to the improvement of winemaking processes and wine quality in Modesto, CA

WINEMAKING

Locations: Modesto, Fresno, & Livingston.

Interns will work and learn from winemakers responsible for the production of table wines, sparkling wines, flavored wines and other beverages.

What you will do:

• Participate in product evaluations and trials including, but not limited to, sample acquisition, production practices and fermentation monitoring.
• Participate in wine tasting and sensory evaluation.
• Perform fining, blending and other winemaking trials.
• Participate in the production, sensory evaluation and bottling of commercial wines and beverages.

RESEARCH WINEMAKING

Location: Modesto, & Livingston

Interns will assist in all aspects of small-lot wine production in our Modesto (10-gallon scale), Livingston (600-gallon scale), or Healdsburg (600-gallon scale) research wineries, which produce over 500 table, sparkling and dessert wines per season. Interns work hands-on - from grape crush to bottling - in every step of the winemaking process. Our facilities support statewide research programs and allow interns to produce wines from grapes grown in many different winegrowing regions of California. Interns will also gain experience in producing a wide variety of wine styles and types, including white & red table, and sparkling & dessert wines. Interns will also work with dozens of grape varieties and gain experience with a wide range of processing and winemaking methods.

What you will do:

• Grape receiving, crushing, and pressing.
• Fermentation monitoring, filtration, ingredient additions, and post-fermentation treatments.
• Assist with bench, pilot, and plant scale experiments, including recording and documenting data.
• Participate in wine tasting and sensory evaluation.

SPIRITS DISTILLATION

Location: Modesto, Livingston and Fresno, CA

This internship provides students with the opportunity to learn from experienced distillers producing a variety of spirits. Spirits-making is an area of rapid growth for Gallo and the environment is dynamic as we learn how to distill and craft new beverages.

What you will do:

• Manage bench-scale trials to problem solve current production issues.
• Evaluate process improvements in making and managing our spirits portfolio.
• Monitor fermentation and distillation facilities during harvest.
• Participate in spirits tasting and sensory evaluation.

ENOLOGY RESEARCH

Location: Modesto, CA

Enology Research Interns assist with research and production support activities including planning an executing experiments and trials at laboratory, pilot, and plant scales. Interns participate in cross-functional projects that contribute to improvements in grape growing, winemaking practices, and wine quality.

What you will do:

• Facilitate the scale-up and commercialization of research advancements in winemaking processes.
• Collect experimental data, participate in the analysis and interpretation of results, and support the creation of technical reports.
• Fermentation monitoring, filtration, ingredient additions, and post-fermentation treatments.
• Grape receiving, crushing, and pressing.
• Participate in wine tasting and sensory evaluation.

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, or School of Engineering (Business or social sciences degrees are not eligible for this internship, such as ag business, psychology, 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 travel to and from varying winery locations up to 10% of the time.
• Reliable transportation to and from work.
• Required to lift and move up to 40 lbs. when necessary.
• Required to work at heights of 50 feet, on tops of tanks inspecting wine surfaces when necessary.
• Required to be 21 years of age.
• Requires availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays when necessary.
• Strong applied technical skills and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Required to be 18 years or older. This may be in addition to other age requirements, if applicable, as listed in this job description.

How You'll Stand Out

• Junior or Senior class standing at a college or university and working towards a Bachelor’s degree in the school of Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, or Engineering; OR working towards a Master’s degree in the school of Life Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, or Engineering.
• Excellent organizational and team skills and experience managing multiple assignments.
• Comfortable in a manufacturing environment.
• Mechanical inclination and an aptitude for design of equipment and manufacturing processes.

To view the full job description, please click here.

Our Benefits & Perks

We are committed to providing competitive compensation, perks, and a culture that supports your well-being. Benefits depend on your work category and may include medical and dental coverage, 401k plans, profit sharing, pet insurance, company holidays, access to an employee wine shop, and more! Additional information will be provided before your first interview.

The Fine Print

• The Company does not sponsor for employment-based visas for this position now or in the future.
• We offer a broad salary range to allow for long-term growth. Actual compensation paid within the range will be determined by multiple factors, including, but not limited to, education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed between the entry point and middle of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors. In addition to the salary, this position may be eligible for bonuses, incentive plans, or participate in tasting room tip pools, as applicable.
• This position will be based in the location(s) specified in the job posting and requires working on-site with no telecommuting option. You will be expected to live within a commutable distance.
• It is the Company’s policy for job postings to be open to internal candidates for a minimum of 5 days and to external candidates, if applicable, for a minimum of 3 days.

Gallo’s policy is to afford equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and not to discriminate on the basis of race, traits associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles (such as braids, locks, and twists), color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law (including cancer and predisposing genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, familial status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation (actual or perceived), transgender status, sex stereotyping, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, reproductive health decision making, age, military or veteran status, domestic violence or sexual assault victim status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. Nor will Gallo discriminate based on a perception that an individual has any of the foregoing characteristics or is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of those characteristics.

Gallo will comply with state and local laws prohibiting discrimination for lawful out-of-work behavior, such as off-duty use of cannabis away from the workplace (subject to federal and state law exceptions), the existence of non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids as determined by a drug screening test (subject to federal and state law exceptions).

We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Gallo is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please let us know at 209.341.7000.

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