La Couronne Wine Estate

Position: Marketing and Business Administration / Viticulture
Number of available positions: 1/1
Duration of internship: 10-12 weeks
*The viticulture internship is only available during the months of January-April, when the Cape's grape harvest occurs.


Internship Description (Marketing and Business Administration):
La Couronne exports most of its wines overseas, though they have recently made the decision to start selling their wines domestically. As a marketing and business administrative intern, you will be involved in the process of marketing the La Couronne label. You will also participate in the behind-the-scenes administrative process that keeps a wine estate operational. La Couronne will occasionally host special events and interns will be expected to participate in such functions. Overall, this internship will give you a great feel for the inter-workings of a South African wine estate and the delicate task of marketing a wine label. Those who apply for this internship should enjoy working with a team and not hesitate to get their hands dirty when asked to do so. An intern should also appreciate the difference between a good and bad tasting wine!

Internship Description (viticulture):
The La Couronne viticulture internship position is for an applicant interested in wine making. As a viticulture intern, you will participate in the La Couronne grape harvest and experience the wine making process from vine to bottle. Since the harvest season takes place between January and April, this is a seasonal internship position. Similar to the marketing internship description, expect to gain a unique understanding of the wine making process that the normal wine aficionado will never experience.

View photos of previous La Couronne interns at our Cape Town internship gallery.

About La Couronne Wine Estate:

La Couronne is much more than a wine estate or a wineland experience-- it is a venue of magical proportions for families, tourists and wine connoisseurs. Much of our estate's charm is due to its relaxed, family-oriented atmosphere. The La Couronne Wine estate combines international flair with the outstanding wine making heritage that Franschhoek is so well-known for. The La Couronne range, consisting of 6 varietals, is our first and benchmark brand. La Couronne translates to The Crown in French and also is the namesake of the largest French warship built to that time, 25 feet longer and 7 feet broader in the beam than the next largest of the King's ships, laid down in 1629 on the banks of the Seudre River in Brittany. It is this ship which transported French Hugenots to the Cape and therefore holds a special place in the history of wine making in South Africa.

The 277 wine range, consisting of 3 varietals, is our second label and honours the 277 French Hugenots who fled France and sailed to the Cape in the French Shop, La Couronne. Our wine style follows the Bordeaux winemaking tradition, brought to the Cape by the Hugenots.

The story on the label:
Today we honour the memory of the 277 French Hugenots who arrived in the Cape in 1685. Those traveling aboard the fine French sailing ship "La Couronne" braved the stormy seas on their voyage down south. Due to religious problems, the courageous artisans were forced to leave their homes, and facing uncertainty, they started a new life under the African sun. if only they could have foreseen our celebrations of their pioneering  spirit. A votre Sante.