Oregon Nonprofit Announces Launch of National Applications for Flagship Internship Program
PORTLAND, Ore. (Jan. 31, 2022) – Our Legacy Harvested (OLH), a nonprofit founded in 2020 dedicated to educating, advancing and empowering the BIPOC community at any career level within the wine industry, will open its inaugural internship applications nationally for six fall 2022 interns, with applications available starting January 31st.
Founded in 2020, Our Legacy Harvested cultivates a community of wine industry changemakers that is as diverse as the community of wine lovers. Our Legacy Harvested provides a mentorship experience, including housing and a vehicle for their mentees. OLH believes in fostering and facilitating bread-breaking opportunities with industry representatives and members of the winemaking community to encourage strong, lasting relationships. OLH values partnering with wineries to ensure tasting rooms, cellars, and vineyards better reflect the diverse world of wine they represent.
The program focuses on BIPOC individuals at any career level that want to advance their knowledge and expertise in the wine community. Interns will be placed with one to two Willamette Valley wineries in either Direct to Consumer (DTC) or wine production. Our Legacy Harvested will provide interns with a scholarship to cover certain basic needs as well as a supportive and safe community to explore the Willamette Valley and Oregon wine industry.
Internships are four months long with a speciality focused on either DTC or wine production. Interns are hired and paid by a partner winery. Scholarships will be provided by Our Legacy Harvested to cover housing, transportation, training and Sunday Suppers.
The Wine Production Internship launching in August 2022 focuses on vineyards and production at the winery. The boot camp experience ranges from viticulture and harvest activities to winemaking in the barrel room. Learning how the winery manages the vineyard, making harvest decisions and production activities from bottling, blending, science of determining brix, testing when ready to pick, learning about cost and the many other decisions made at a smaller winery.
The DTC Internship launching in May 2023 focuses on hospitality and front of house operations. The boot camp experience includes working under the DTC lead at the winery with exposure to many facets of the hospitality business and working with the team including front of house manager, wholesale business, event specialist, wine club manager, shipping, and general manager. Interns will learn budgeting, sales strategies, marketing, customer relations, inventory management, and all activities related to tasting room operation.
Tastings and Outings
- Wine tastings and educational outings with the many faces of the wine community, wine producers, wine writers and industry influencers in the different AVAs and wine regions of Oregon.
Training a Specific Focus
- Providing first hand experience at wineries and in classes.
Empowerment Lecture Series
- An interactive learning opportunity, meetings, and networking. Mini course series with a variety of leaders in the wine industry sharing the many facets of the business.
Sunday Suppers
- An opportunity for interns to “break bread” with industry members at every level. They will have the chance to connect, build community, and nourish the soul to gear up for another day!
Mentorship
- In addition to their teams at work, we will connect interns with mentors outside the partnered winery to encourage connection, outreach, and potential future resources.
Eligibility
- Must work and reside in the United States
- Must identify as Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, or Person of Color
- At least 21 years of age
- Ability to lift 50 lbs. and work long hours of physical labor (Fall internship)
Timeline
- Applications for internships open January 31, 2022
- Applications due by March 15th, 2022
- Candidate interviews March 15th through April 15th, 2022
- Interns announced May 7, 2022
- First Wine Production Internship Session runs August through November 2022, including one week orientation
- Focus Areas: Viticulture, Harvest, Winemaking
- Skills Learned: Vineyard Management, Testing, Blending, Bottling, Costing
- First DTC Internship Session runs May through August 2023
Applicants will be required to submit educational and work history experience along with a letter of recommendation and responses to essay questions. The paid internship will offer an expedited learning experience in wine production, teamwork and industry fellowship.
Founded in 2020 by Tiquette Bramlett, president of Vidon Vineyard and the first Black woman hired to oversee a winery in the country, OLH works to welcome and better represent the diverse world of wine drinkers and enthusiasts. OLH’s flagship internship experience will select six interns under its production internship track, with a direct-to-consumer option launching in spring 2023.
OLH interns will be welcomed into a hands-on mentorship experience throughout four months, from August through November 2022, including lodging, transportation and the ability to work in a desired field of the wine business. Outside of working hours, interns will experience educational programming, social outings and networking opportunities to foster a safe and supportive experience. Interns will have opportunities to connect with industry representatives and members of the BIPOC winemaking community to encourage strong, lasting relationships.
OLH is led by an all-female team: Tiquette Bramlett, Founder; Charlotte Bramlett, Chief Financial Officer, Diana Riggs, Associate Director, and Brittney Guthmiller, Development Director.
The long-term goal of OLH is to build a permanent campus, used to host pop-up events, fundraisers, dinners, educational seminars, and to foster the growing and evolving BIPOC wine community, partnering with tasting rooms, cellars and vineyards.
“Bringing the vision of educating, advancing and empowering the BIPOC community in the wine industry to life through our internship program is exactly what we’ve been working towards,” said Bramlett. “Supporting entrepreneurship and education will help individuals at any career level advance in this industry. The initial response has been incredible and we’re looking forward to welcoming our first interns in August, just in time for harvest season.”
ABOUT OUR LEGACY HARVESTED
Our Legacy Harvested mission is to educate, advance and empower the BIPOC community at any career level so that tasting rooms, cellars and vineyards may be welcoming to, and may better represent, the diverse world of wine drinkers and enthusiasts. Founded in 2020, Our Legacy Harvested works with individuals to advance their knowledge and expertise in the wine community. Our Legacy Harvested values partnering with wineries to ensure tasting rooms, cellars, and vineyards better reflect the diverse world of wine they represent.
