The identical French twins are drawing double-takes this fall as they set to work on the California wine harvest in the same small artisan winery, Hartford Court. Their wine lives as well as their personal lives have followed much the same road, taking them finally to Sonoma County.

�I think we have the same tastes in wine,� said Cecile Gery as the 23-year-olds chatted under the brilliant Indian Summer sun along the Russian River. �Sometimes we�re a little lost when we are alone, and I ask myself, �What would Marie-Laure think?��

Marie Laure and Cecile are part of a worldwide migration of winery talent to California each fall, a migration that has proven a great success for Kendall-Jackson Winery and Artisans  Estates, the Jackson family group of ultra-premium wineries that includes Hartford Court.

Kendall-Jackson and Artisans  Estates employ more interns this year than ever before. The list of 52 is up from just 10 in 1996. No other group of wineries hosts more interns, according to Beverly Gilmartin. She coordinates the program that places interns with wineries, the Minnesota-based Communicating for Agriculture Exchange Program.

Both interns and employers win under the program. Interns gain a look at American innovation and creativity.  They gain exposure to varietals, such as Pinot Noir at Hartford Court, that they may never handle at home. They learn more English and build a network in the industry.

Wineries gain an eager and skilled work force at harvest, the time of year when trained labor is chronically short.

Wider job opportunities await interns who can capitalize on their experience in California, said Leon Duckworth, a 26-year-old cellar worker from Corbans Winery in New Zealand. �People are always interested in California,� he said. �But we don�t see much of the wine in New Zealand because you guys drink it all here.�

Interns say they are fascinated with the level of custom handling in the California winemaking process, the extensive use of costly barrels for fermentation and aging, and the casual but efficient culture of work in the United States.

�It�s great to see how you mix the French tradition with your own experiences in California,� said Matthieu Broine, an intern from Chateau Beaumont in Bordeaux. Safety and sanitation standards are far stricter than most interns expect.

�These are some of the cleanest wineries I�ve ever seen,� Duckworth said. �It�s like they have a guy walking around polishing the tanks all day. You have to shade your eyes.�

Nearly 300 interns came to US wineries this year, a record, according to Gilmartin. At Kendall-Jackson and Artisans  Estates, France contributes the most interns at 14, followed by Chile, nine, and Argentina, six.

�Kendall-Jackson does a great job with the trainees, treating them like something more than new employees,� Gilmartin said.  �Trainees want to ask questions and learn the why�s and how�s of the operation.�

Gilmartin predicted the program will grow in the coming years as word spreads among world winemakers. New countries such as Korea, Scotland and Bulgaria continue to show interest in the program, she said. South Africa is a growing participant.

Cecile and Marie-Laure enjoyed their break in the sunshine only because California grapes are coming in a little late this year. Even when pressed, they diplomatically decline to name their favorite wine-producing nation. But after working in Burgundy, Bordeaux and California, they clearly favor the American way on the job.

�You can learn a great deal in a short time, doing all the jobs,� Marie-Laure said. �And nobody tells you there is any job you can�t do.�

Kendall-Jackson Winery produces ultra-classic wines from True Coast� vineyards along California�s coastal ranges, and has been America�s favorite premium wine over the past five years, according to industry data. Visit Kendall-Jackson on the web at KJ.com