Hating life in a cubicle where the only greenery is that of the mold growing on the rungs of the corporate ladder? Feel as if you've graduated with honors into a nation-wide hiring deep freeze? Wine was one of the very few U.S. industries that experienced growth in 2008. Is wine recession-proof as many believe? Not entirely. But even in these times of pervasive layoffs and cutbacks wineries and wine related businesses are creating job prospects every day and in a variety of skill applications—from agricultural work to marketing and business. How to Launch Your Wine Career is the first book of its kind. Written by successful and respected industry professionals it gives practical, real-world advice on how to land, develop and succeed in a career in: • Wine Making • Wine Production • Vineyard Management • Wine Marketing & Sales • Wine Public Relations • Wine Writing • Wine Education • Winery Management & Administration • Direct to Consumer Sales • Winery Supplier • Wine Marketing with a Distributor or Retailer Including interviews with some of wine's most prominent figures, like winemaker Heidi Barrett, and wine writer James Laube of the Wine Spectator, about how they “made it,” the book builds a career from the ground up, explaining job descriptions, educational and skill requirements, the “career ladder,” how to get started, and job hunting strategies. Each chapter ends with a helpful resource guide of available conferences, books, and websites. The appendix provides a detailed “Action Plan Worksheet” to help the prospective applicant plan, plot progress and nail that killer wine industry job.