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SANTA ROSA, Calif - Oct. 9, 1998--Marcia Torres had never
seen a winery sparkle like this one. You could eat off the well-polished
equipment at Kendall-Jackson by the time she and other visiting enologists
had cleaned it more times than they could count, marking time while waiting
for California grapes to ripen. They had come to work the California crush
during one of the oddest years ever, when El Nino scrambled normal weather
patterns and pushed harvest back weeks or months.
Finally, however, the grapes are coming in. Torres, a Chilean, and 39 other enology interns have dropped their Ajax and set to work doing what they do best. They are part of a worldwide migration of professional winery talent to California each fall that has proven a great success for Kendall-Jackson and Artisans Estates, its allied group of small wineries. Interns say they gain, too, by working in California during crush. "You see a different point of view here, and you also get to work two harvest seasons in one year," said Christian Merino, a recent enology graduate of Catholic University in Santiago, Chile. "It's better for your resume, better for your experience." Kendall-Jackson and Artisans Estates will employ 40 interns this year, up from just 10 two season ago. They come from 10 nations, with Chile and France each contributing nine interns. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, South Africa, Argentina, Bulgaria and New Zealand sent smaller numbers of interns. Most of them are in their 20s, and newly graduated from enology schools or veterans of just a few years in the wine industry. For New Zealander Michael McVey, California is the capital of wine. The money, marketing and technology mean he can learn a lot during a short stay, he said. This year, recession in his native country matches up nicely with a labor shortage for U.S. wineries, benefiting both him and his employer, Cardinale Estate Winery in Oakville. Carlos Cordova works most of the time for Vinas de la Calina, a Chilean winery and part of the Artisans Estates group. This harvest, he works for Kendall-Jackson in Geyserville. He said the higher levels of organization, efficiency and technology in the United States could benefit his work at home. Kendall-Jackson and Artisans Estates employ more interns each year than any other wine company, according to Craig Schmuck. He heads the program that places interns with wineries, the Minnesota-based Communicating for Agriculture Exchange Program. "Kendall-Jackson does a great job of looking after the trainees, and not just treating them like employees," Schmuck said. "They want to be able to ask questions and learn the why's and how's of the operation. "Then they take those lessons back to use at home. It's not just a paycheck
to them." More than 250 interns are working in American wineries this harvest,
five times the number of just four years ago, Schmuck said. CAEP placed
more than 800 interns in all kinds of U.S. agriculture this year. Low unemployment
in the U.S., and the fact that American enology students are just beginning
their semester, make the intern exchange vital to the harvest work force,
said Joyce Suzuki, Human Resources Administrator for Kendall-Jackson. The
program also enriches California wineries with the experience and perspective
overseas interns can bring to the job, she said.
Kendall-Jackson produces America's top-rated and best-selling Chardonnay,
and is quickly becoming
known for its red wines. They include Vintner's Reserve and Grand Reserve
versions of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir. Proprietor
Jess Jackson also produces wines in an Artisans Estates portfolio that
features such brands as Cambria, Camelot, Edmeades, Pepi, Kristone, Cardinale,
Stonestreet, La Crema and Hartford Court. Additional information is available
on the Internet at Kj.com.
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