Wine Intern-Proprietor

Bluff Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Point of the Bluff is offering an internship with a focus on wine production, viticulture, and hands-on marketing in the Finger Lakes. The program supports underrepresented individuals seeking practical experience across production, sales, and entrepreneurship.

You will work with FLX Crush to gain exposure to winery operations and may have the option to finance your first wine label up to 200 cases, with guidance and potential profit sharing.

Qualifications

• Experience or study in wine production and vineyard operations is preferred.
• Willingness to engage in marketing and direct-to-consumer sales activities.
• Interest in entrepreneurship and starting a personal wine label.

Responsibilities

• Participate in wine production and viticulture activities at FLX Crush.
• Assist with marketing, events, and direct-to-consumer sales efforts.
• Support entrepreneurial aspects of starting a personal wine label.

Skills

Wine production

Viticulture

Marketing

DTC sales

Entrepreneurship

Education

Wine education

Job description

Point of the Bluff / FLX Crush Intern-Proprietor

Point of the Bluff – Hammondsport, NY

About Point of the Bluff and FLX Crush

Point of the Bluff Hospitality is the parent to Point of the Bluff Vineyards, Point of the Bluff Concerts, Park Inn Restaurant, Park Inn Accommodations, Crooked Lake Creamery, Glenn Scott Farms and FLX Crush. While each entity operates semi-autonomously, we work together to be one of the most unique and exciting places to visit and to work in the Finger Lakes of New York. Point of the Bluff Vineyards has just celebrated its 10th anniversary and FLX Crush is a new start up that began in 2025. Point of the Bluff Vineyards is an acclaimed winery that is focusing on luxury and ultra-premium level single vineyard wines and a higher QPR “Curtiss Series”. Our varieties are Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Blaufrankisch and Pinot Noir. FLX Crush is a new custom crush and incubator program that brings in viticulturalists, winemakers, sommeliers, restaurants, wine afficionados or even other wineries that need a home to produce their own small label or smaller lot productions that may not work at existing larger wineries.

About the Position

As creative as we are at Point of the Bluff and FLX Crush, we also like to give back any way we can in a responsible manner. With those two thoughts we have created a new model of internship program to allow someone underrepresented in the industry leave the position not only with an education and experience, but also a model to grow themselves through entrepreneurial methods in our wine industry. The position will entail touching on wine production, viticulture, marketing, DTC sales, and marketing. You will have an impact on the entire business. The additional reward is that we will finance the start-up of your first wine of 200 cases with your own label if you choose the option. We are offering this experience to people who are underrepresented in the wine industry whether it be due to gender, race, religion, financial means or other. Our goal is simple. Have a great working hand and reward that person while also growing a needed demographic in Finger Lakes wine.

Ideal Candidate

• Represents an underrepresented demographic in wine leadership – we want to grow a leader.
• Passion – if you don’t love wine and working on wine, wine production is hard. If you do love it, it will be the best career you could ever have.
• Incredible work ethic – we can’t teach this, but its need in this line of work.
• Willing to do the dirty work – we all have to from the top down.
• Positive attitude – we all have bad days, but the good days have to outweigh those, and we need to enter each day believing it will be great.
• Attention to detail – being honest, a keen attention to detail is far more important to high quality winemaking and wine experiences than any education.

Requirements

• Ideally some level of education in wine, but not necessary. We can teach winemaking and winery operations.
• Ideally some winery or wine experience, but not necessary. Again, we can teach this.
• Ability to work flexible and extended hours, including some weekend work.
  • If currently enrolled in college, we can work around your schedule generally.
• Must be able to lift 50lbs repeatedly.
• Must be comfortable on your feet for long periods of time.
• Comfortable with walking, climbing, kneeling, crouching and crawling at times to access equipment.
• May have to wear a respirator at times (ideally not)

Compensation

• $18-20 per hour
• Financing of your first wine – up to 200 cases
  • Work with the head winemaker to source the variety and grape source (must be from the Finger Lakes)
  • Repayment based on when the wine sells/depletes at 0% interest at only COGS – you keep all profit.
  • Repayment can be reinvested instead of paid directly back for your second year of production using FLX Crush
  • Candidate is responsible for securing their permits to be able to sell the wine, however, the FLX Crush team will assist in helping through the process to get you up and started at no consultation cost.
  • FLX Crush can assist with design and consultation on sales methods, but it will be the responsibility of the candidate to implement.

Work Schedule (Approximate – subject to change)

• May 1st, 2026 (or earlier) – December 31st, 2026 (potential for extension)
• May – August – 5 days per week – some weekends for events and sales
  • 1-3 days per week facilities, hospitality, events, concerts and marketing
  • 1 day per week vineyards
  • 1-3 days per week wine production
• September-November
  • 5 days per week wine production – a sixth day could be as necessary.
• November-December
  • 3-4 days per week wine production
  • 1-2 days per week facilities, hospitality, events and marketing