Winegrower (Winzer/Winzerin)
You grow vines, make the wine in the cellar and sell it: a 3-year training, paid from the first year, on a wine estate.
What a winegrower does
They handle the whole wine production process: soil work, pruning and tending vines, harvest, pressing, fermentation, bottling, then sales and customer advice.
Grow the vines
Work the soil, plant, prune the vines, control weeds and pests, and harvest the grapes.
Make the wine
Press the grapes, monitor and steer fermentation, and look after the quality of the wine.
Sell
Bottle, label and pack the wine, advise customers and run tastings for visitors.
This occupation is for you if…
- you like working in the vineyard, outdoors
- you are meticulous when pruning and tending vines
- you are interested in fermentation and wine chemistry
- you enjoy advising customers and running tastings
Less suitable if…
- you dislike working outdoors with the seasons
- you dislike technology and machine maintenance
- you refuse to handle crop treatment products
A typical day in the workshop
What you will learn, what is expected of you
Technical skills
Pruning and vine careSoil workFermentation and cellar workBasic oenologyBottlingSales and tastingPersonal qualities
MeticulousnessTechnical senseSense of responsibilityPeople skillsStaminaHow the Ausbildung works
In Germany you learn by working: this is the “dual system”. You are an employee of a company and a student at a vocational school (Berufsschule) at the same time.
Vines and basics
- The estate and safety
- Soil, planting and pruning vines
- First cellar tasks
Vines, cellar, sales
- Growing and tending vines
- Making and treating wine
- Intermediate exam
Cellar and independence
- Cellar work done independently
- Bottling and quality
- Selling wines, final exam
Exams and qualification
An intermediate exam (Zwischenprüfung) takes place before the end of the 2nd year: 3 practical tasks (up to 3 hours) with a discussion, and a 90-minute written paper. The final exam has a practical part of up to 7 hours (grapes, cellar, sales) and 3 written papers of 120, 120 and 90 minutes. The certificate is issued under the authority of the Chamber of Agriculture (Landwirtschaftskammer).
You are paid during the training
Gross monthly pay during the training. These amounts are averages: they vary by region, sector and collective agreement.
What you need to apply
Education level
German level
Physical fitness
Documents to prepare
- CV and cover letter in German
- Translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts
- German B2 level certificate
Advantages and difficulties
Advantages
- Paid from the 1st year
- A complete trade: vines, cellar and sales
- Outdoor work that follows the seasons
- Many continuing training options
Difficulties
- Physical work in the vineyard in all weathers
- Very seasonal, heavy workload at harvest
- Treatment products: precautions required
- Trade German takes effort at first
Where it can lead
Qualified winegrower
Jobs on a wine estate, in a winery or in a winegrowers' cooperative.
Vineyard or cellar specialist
Take responsibility for one area of the estate, the vineyard or the cellar.
Master winegrower (Meister)
Take the Winzermeister or the Weinküfermeister (master cooper) to run an estate.
Other trainings: Agriculture, environment and sciences
Not quite convinced by this occupation? Here are related trainings in the same field.
We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany
Four steps to move forward, all run by our own structures.
Take the test online or at the office
The eligibility test is done online on our website, or by visiting our Douala office directly.
Take the testTalk to our team
Germany: +49 (0) 7033 694 18 80
Cameroon: +237 622 20 81 64
DZK, our language centre
Deutschzentrum KAGEDEV (DZK) is our own language centre in Douala. Outside Douala: partner language centres, call us to find the nearest one.
AZUFA is always us
AZUFA is our platform: it connects you with German companies that recruit apprentices and follows your application through to the training contract.
Go to AZUFAFrom German A1 to the first day of training in Germany
Each step is run by one of our structures. You keep the same contact from start to finish.
- 1
Check my eligibility
The test is done online on our website or at our Douala office.
Run by Campus Germany
- 2
Talk to an advisor
Review your profile, your wishes and the chosen occupation.
- 3
Learn German, from A1 to B2
Courses adapted to your starting level, up to the required B2 level. In Douala at our own language centre; elsewhere, with our partner centres.
Run by DZK
- 4
Prepare the application file
CV and cover letter in German, translated baccalaureate diplomas and transcripts, B2 level certificate.
- 5
Find the company and sign the training contract
We connect you with German companies that recruit apprentices, and follow your application through to the contract.
Run by AZUFA
- 6
Prepare the visa and paperwork
Support to gather the documents and complete the administrative steps.
- 7
Prepare your departure and settling in
Travel, housing and first steps in Germany: we prepare you before you leave.
Run by KAGEDEV e.V.
- 8
First day of training in Germany
You arrive prepared and supported, with a team that has known you since day one.
Stay informed
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Our structures for this occupation
Our platform for recruiting apprentices and skilled staff from Africa: matching with German companies through to the training contract.
Our own German language centre, in Douala. Outside Douala: partner centres.
Training offers for this occupation
No offer is open here at the moment. Browse apprenticeship offers on AZUFA, or receive an e-mail as soon as a partner company recruits.
See offers on AZUFA →Take this sheet with you
A 5-page document to read offline or show your family: the occupation, the training, the pay and the whole pathway, from German A1 to the first day of training.
Download the brochure (PDF)You may be wondering…
What German level is required?
How long does the training last?
Am I paid during the training?
Where can I take the eligibility test?
Where can I learn German?
Does a winegrower also work in the cellar?
Ready to find out whether this occupation is for you?
Take the test online or come and see us at the office. We are by your side from day one until you arrive in Germany.