Who are they and what do they do? The task of a viniculturist is to grow vine and carry out all the related activities. Quite often, a viniculturist grows vines in his/her own vineyard. In some cases, private viniculturists also produce wine on their own, which means that they also become wine makers (the job of a wine maker / winery worker is described separately).
What are the activities of the job? Preparing and maintaining the vineyard, i.e. dividing and marking out the plots, making holes for the posts using a tractor dibber, ploughing, weeding and loosening the soil by means of rotary cultivators, making furrows in vine nurseries, etc. – sorting, treating and planting vine seedlings – fertilising the soil using mechanised spreaders – hoeing between the vine trees, pruning, tying up or tucking in the new annual shoots, tying up the trunks, removing the tops, – clearing the vine rods away from between the rows and liquidating them using a crusher – applying chemicals to protect the vine against various diseases and pests using manual or mechanized sprayers and sprinklers (some “organic” growers use, on principle, only biological methods and no artificial chemicals) – checking how fast the grapes are ripening. There is also the work of propagating the vines and growing them on in special nurseries: carrying out various activities related to the propagation of vines, i.e. collecting the rods, preparing the vine cuttings, preparing the grafts, planting young vines in the nursery, monitoring and managing the whole process of nursery plant production – harvesting ripe grapes – handling and dispatching activities.
Where is it done and under what conditions? In vineyards out of doors and so exposed to varying weather conditions.
What tools/equipment do they use? Spades, hoes, scissors, saws, weeders and motor hoes, cultivators, mowers, sprayers and sprinklers, trimmers, machines for shaking down the grapes, tractors, conveyors, loaders, etc.
What do you need to succeed? You need to have completed an apprenticeship, have a positive attitude to work on the land, a well developed sense of taste and smell, and patience.