Forrest Wines is a small, independent winery near Renwick, in the middle of Marlborough wine country. We make wines from a long list of Marlborough varieties, plus smaller parcels of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris from Central Otago and the Waitaki Valley. We’re a small team, so everyone’s work shows up in the glass.
We’re looking for a Cellar Hand to join us from October right through to the end of June. That’s not just vintage: it’s the whole run, from getting the 2026 wines bottle-ready to cleaning the last press after Vintage 2027.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll report to our Cellar Manager and get stuck into all of it:
Now to summer: rackings, transfers, additions, fining, filtration, barrel work, tanker loads and bottling prep
Harvest prep: cleaning, servicing and commissioning the winery so it’s ready to go when the fruit arrives
Vintage 2027: fruit receival, pressing, inoculations, ferment monitoring, plunging and pump-overs on the reds, and a lot of cleaning
Post-vintage: settling and stabilising the new wines, then packing the winery down for the year
You’ll be great at this if you
Have at least 2 vintages under your belt
Are confident with winery gear: pumps, presses, filters and a forklift
Take safety and hygiene seriously, and notice the small things
Have a practical, mechanical streak and understand how wine gets made
Communicate well and work well in a small team
Hold a full NZ driver’s licence and have the right to work in NZ for the full term
Are happy to work long days, weekends and the odd night once vintage kicks off
A winemaking or science qualification is a bonus, but not essential.
The fine print
Outside vintage it’s mostly Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 4.30pm. During intake, shifts are usually up to 12 hours, 7 days a week. We’ll feed you a hot meal every shift, and keep the coffee coming.
If you like hard work, good wine and a few laughs along the way, we’d love to hear from you. Apply with your CV and a short cover letter telling us about your vintages so far.