Job Description
Ponzi Vineyards has recently been acquired by French family wine group Bollinger (Champagne Bollinger, Champagne Ayala, Burgundy wine Chanson, Loire Valley wine Langlois Chateau, and Cognac Delamain), with the ambition to make it the top-of-mind brand for Oregon fine wine.
We are a premium Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producer located just 22 miles from downtown Portland in the Chehalem Mountains/Laurelwood District AVAs. We are seeking an experienced, dynamic, driven professional to join our team as Winery Operations Coordinator.
Ponzi Vineyards is currently hiring a Chef to lead our event and tasting room food programs. The ideal candidate is experienced, creative, flexible, and passionate about Pacific Northwest wine and food, with a team mentality and can-do attitude. In addition to professional kitchen and catering/event experience, applicants must have a thorough understanding of culinary operations, costing, inventory management and efficiencies. A basic understanding of wine production and wine and food pairing is encouraged. The Chef reports to the Hospitality Director.
Duties:
- Responsible for creating, designing, costing, and preparing seasonally driven menus for tasting room and events.
- Responsible for keeping a clean and well-organized kitchen, walk-in and dry storage areas.
- Responsible for weekly ordering and checking in of all food products.
- Responsible for monthly inventory of food products.
- Responsible for ensuring that culinary staffing hours and food costs are in line with budget.
- Responsible for weekly invoice coding, food cost tracking, and other administrative tasks as needed.
- Responsible for training and managing a seasonal culinary team.
- Responsible for supporting our wine production team with daily meals during the harvest season.
Job Requirements:
- Flexibility - While the normal weekly schedule would be Tuesday to Saturday, actual hours will depend on our event calendar to include private luncheons, dinners, and hosted events at the winery. The chef must meet the minimum of evening & weekend availability and be able to adjust for busy customers and harvest seasons accordingly.
- Must be able to stand for 8 hours and lift to 50 pounds.
- Applicants must have a professional, polished appearance and attitude and be comfortable with public speaking.
- Applicants must have reliable transportation.
- Must have a basic understanding of wine and food pairing.
Skills and Abilities:
- Confident in their culinary and organizational skills.
- Possesses strong managerial and leadership qualities.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities with grace and enthusiasm.
- Demonstrate sense of urgency with proper kitchen etiquette and service practices.
Certifications:
- Food Handler’s Permit (FHC).
Compensation:
- Hourly (DOE). Expected schedule is 40 hours/week May through October, and 25-30 hours/week November through April.
- Eligible for benefits.
Requirements and Experience:
- 3+ years of fine dining and/or catering culinary/kitchen experience.
- 1+ years of management experience in a winery or restaurant environment.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
- Must be 21 years of age or older.
More about Ponzi Vineyards: Founded by Dick and Nancy Ponzi in 1970, Ponzi Vineyards is one of Oregon’s original wineries that has contributed to fostering the success and growth of the region’s Pinot Noir over the last 50 years. In April 2021, the Bollinger Family united with the Ponzi Family in its first official acquisition outside of France with Luisa Ponzi remaining as the Director of Winemaking and Viticulture.
More about The Bollinger Family: In addition to the iconic Champagne Bollinger, the Bollinger family owns the following leading historic French producers: Champagne Ayala, founded in 1860, and specialist in Chardonnay-dominant Champagnes; Domaine Chanson, founded in 1750, owner of 111 acres of Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in the heart of Burgundy; Langlois-Chateau, founded in 1885, a leading historical producer of Cremant and now also with important Sancerre holdings, all together totaling 175 acres in the best parts of the Loire Valley; and Cognac Delamain, founded in 1824, renowned for focusing entirely on the production of highest quality, aged Cognacs, only XO and above. These domains are all linked to their terroir by owning and farming vineyards. S.J. Bollinger’s mission is to offer consumers around the world great experiences around premium wines from the best wine regions.