Estate Manager
Definition - What does Estate Manager mean?
An estate manager of a vineyard and or winery is the equivalent to the CEO of a corporation. These managers are involved with many, if not all aspects of the winery. They are in charge of staffing from the winery to the vineyard.
Their duties may also involve the staffing of the owners' home and private grounds. They oversee financial details from billing and payments, payroll, winemaking, vineyard management and much more. An estate manager works closely with the vineyard manager to set expectations for sales and growth and design vinification processes.
WineFrog explains Estate Manager
The estate management position in a winery is a very important role. Many individuals who become estate manager are those who have been involved with winemaking for many years and were even winemakers or cellar masters. They also understand the details and the intricacies of the wine business inside and out.
As the estate manager of a wine estate, they are in charge of staffing the winery, the hiring of a winemaker, assistant winemaker and vineyard manager. Their duties include the writing and the implementation of sanitary policies in the winery, overseeing the winemaking process and the maintenance of the wine stock, and often, sales, import and export. They are the face of the winery, present at important public wine events.
A well-rounded estate manager has an understanding of viticulture and the management of the vineyard from the hiring of the necessary staff to identifying vineyard challenges and problems from disease to harvest.
Some winery estate managers go beyond the winery and also help in the management of the winery owners' personal estate and grounds.
