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Beverage and cigarette manufacturing workers

How to become a Winemaker

Also called: Fruit wine maker, Alcoholic drinks production worker (not sake), Wine production worker

Makes wine from grapes.

Workers in this job say university or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start, but related fields include agriculture and food courses at high school and agriculture and food faculties at university. New graduates usually find jobs through their school, and people changing careers mostly through Hello Work (public employment service) and job advertisements. The work is done in small teams, so you need to be cooperative and help each other. Wine is tasted constantly to judge its quality, so it is important to build up experience and sharpen your tasting skills. Machines are used for much of the work, but many traditional tasks still need physical strength. Instinct and experience matter in winemaking. You learn skills by gaining a range of experience on the job, and as your judgement matures with skill you move into a role managing the whole winemaking process.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Winemaker?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start, but related fields include agriculture and food courses at high school and agriculture and food faculties at university. New graduates usually find jobs through their school, and people changing careers mostly through Hello Work (public employment service) and job advertisements. The work is done in small teams, so you need to be cooperative and help each other. Wine is tasted constantly to judge its quality, so it is important to build up experience and sharpen your tasting skills. Machines are used for much of the work, but many traditional tasks still need physical strength. Instinct and experience matter in winemaking. You learn skills by gaining a range of experience on the job, and as your judgement matures with skill you move into a role managing the whole winemaking process.

How much does a Winemaker earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,967,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Food, beverage and tobacco production workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Winemaker?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 22% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: College of technology (高等専門学校, kosen).

Will AI change the work of a Winemaker?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026