Bâtonnage Mentorship Program Level One
Communication & Networking
Level One focuses on networking, communication, and welcoming candidates interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry. The wine industry hosts a myriad of career options, and navigating the decision to further your career within it can be daunting, especially when access to leaders and their time is challenging to obtain. The objective of Level 1 is to create an inclusive, inviting space for candidates to ask questions and learn from experiences of participating mentors. Mentees will chose one of three tracks (see below), and within that track, mentees are offered the flexibility to read through mentors’ bios and experiences, then approach mentors based on interest in and questions around that possible career path. Mentors and mentees interact for a 1-hour session to allow candidates to ask questions, clarify ideas to pursue a career, and verify concepts regarding the industry.
Level One Tracks:
Production Track: Cellar/Production & Viticulture IAFs
Brand Management Track: Marketing/Communications & Wine Business IAFs
Sales Track: Hospitality, Retail, Sales/Distribution IAFs
2024 Level 1:
Application & Program Dates:
Mentee Application period: December 11th 2023 - January 12th, 2024
Program Launch: January 24th, 2024
Program Close: April 5th, 2024
For Viticulture only: Level 1 and Level 2 to run parallel with Level 2 program to
be closed on May 3rd, 2024.
Commitment Requirements & Application
Bâtonnage provides a directory of topics to help guide conversation, educational resources, job search resources, and suggested reading material.
Time Commitment: 1 hour per candidate conversation; mentor can choose to offer one session for multiple candidates or speak 1-on-1 as available. Mentors will be paired with a maximum of 3 Mentees, and between scheduling and mentoring, can expect to spend 3-5 hours on the program. Mentees can expect at least 1 hour of time with their Mentor.
Mentor Requirements : Bio, photo, preferred IAF (please review our Mentor Guide before applying)
Mentee Requirements : Resume, letter of intent
2021 + 2022 in Review
The Bâtonnage Team compiled all of the mentors’ and mentees’ thoughtful responses from the feedback surveys for Level 1 and are sharing them here for your review and reference. We preserved anonymity across all comments/testimonials. We are so grateful for all the participation in the inaugural Bâtonnage Mentorship Program and are hopeful that it will only continue to get better.