The winemaker

People who think winemaking is a glamorous profession haven’t spent a day in Justin Neufeld’s shoes.

“It’s not as pretty as you may think,” Neufeld, 29, says. “It’s very dirty.”

As head winemaker for Gilbert Cellars Winery, Neufeld crawls into tanks to shovel out grape skins. He battles cold and wet conditions, and his day can begin and end in darkness.

Still, Neufeld wouldn’t choose any other profession.

“You have to love it,” he says. “You do work a lot. If your heart is not there, you shouldn’t be there.”

Neufeld has worked in the wine industry for roughly five years, learning the trade at such Washington wineries as Chateau Ste. Michelle, Silver Lake and Glen Fiona. Since 2007, he has worked as head winemaker for Gilbert Cellars, a small, family-owned winery with vineyards near Wiley City and Mattawa.

Winemakers with his experience earn from $40,000 to upwards of $90,000 a year — depending on the size and location of the winery, Neufeld says. As for sick days and vacation time, that’s pretty flexible. If his work is done, he likely can negotiate some time off.  

“For me, I work for a privately owned winery,” he says. “There’s a lot of freedom in that.”

Neufeld, who graduated from the University of Washington with a molecular biology degree, didn’t set out to be a winemaker. In fact, he didn’t know what he wanted to do after he finished school.

Only when a friend’s dad asked him about his career goals did the word “winemaker” escape his lips. The sudden decision proved to be a good one.

“I was stressed out about what I wanted to do, then all of that went away,” Neufeld says about his epiphany. “I felt it was a lifestyle that suited me.”

The job allows Neufeld to work outside and use his chemistry background. A lot of what he does also depends on instinct.

“This is an improvisational, self-directed job,” he says. “You make decisions on the spur of the moment.”

Neufeld typically blends wines from January through March. He bottles them from April through June, and he spends his summers checking the vineyards. The next couple of months are spent getting his equipment together and preparing for harvest.

When harvest hits in the fall, he works 70 to 90-plus hours a week. He battles fatigue and he barely sees his wife. For about three months, his job is all-consuming.

“You get into the funk and become comfortably numb,” he says. “There are always days when you get burnt out, but you forget about it the next day. For me, during harvest, there’s always something to be excited about.”

Neufeld knows a lot can go wrong during the winemaking process, which is why reviewing his calculations and checking for bacteria is pivotal. An added frustration: waiting about two years before the wine is ready for sale.

“It’s not an instant-gratification type of job,” he says. “Wine is constantly changing. You have to wait two years while the wine is in the barrel, and it changes a lot in the bottle, too.”

Neufeld’s long-term goal is to have his own winery and his own label. More than anything, he wants to make wine he’s proud of and that critics would enjoy.

“I feel lucky to do what I’m doing,” he says. “It’s not a redundant job. There are always new challenges.”