Viticulturist

Hunter’s is an established Marlborough wine producer crafting premium wines for more than 35 markets around the world. We have assembled a great team and are on the up, with a clear focus on quality wine production.

We’re looking for an experienced, commercially-minded Viticulturist to lead our vineyard operations and manage 120 hectares of vineyards, producing exceptional fruit for our wines.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you’ll oversee all aspects of vineyard operations alongside providing technical support to our grower network.

Working closely with the winemaking team, you’ll ensure vineyard practices deliver the quality, consistency and commercial performance required to produce premium Marlborough wines.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading vineyard planning and operations, from pruning through to harvest.
• Managing grape quality, crop estimates, yields and harvest timing in collaboration with the winemaking team.
• Providing technical support to growers and ensuring fruit meets Hunter’s quality requirements.
• Leading and developing the vineyard operations team and contractors.
• Managing vineyard budgets, labour, machinery and operating costs.
• Maintaining health and safety, compliance and sustainable vineyard practices.

About You

You’re a capable Viticulturist who combines strong technical knowledge with practical leadership and commercial awareness. You enjoy being hands-on, developing people and finding better ways to do things. You understand that great wine starts in the vineyard and take pride in delivering fruit that reflects the quality and character of Marlborough.

You’ll bring:

• A tertiary qualification in viticulture, horticulture or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• Proven experience in commercial vineyard management.
• Strong knowledge of vine physiology, crop management, soils, irrigation, and pest and disease control.
• Experience managing people, contractors, budgets and seasonal workloads.
• A commitment to sustainable viticulture, health and safety, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent planning, communication and problem-solving skills.

Why Hunter’s?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of vineyard operations within an ambitious, quality-focused wine business. You’ll work closely with the winemaking and vineyard teams, influence viticultural decisions from vineyard to winery, and play a meaningful role in shaping the future of Hunter’s.

If you’re passionate about Marlborough viticulture and want to make a real contribution to one of New Zealand’s most well known wine companies, we’d love to hear from you.