College Grad: Info on work/permanent stay

You will need to read up on Immigration to NZ and see if you qualify. There are visas that allow for travel and temporary work so you can visit before you commit. They have a skilled migrant category visa which is what you'd be looking at, but not sure how successful you could be.

For Australia it is based on a points system, where skills experience,education, language and importantly the field of expertise are considered.

For Skilled Migrant, it has to be a job no NZer is available for. In other words a shortage of suitable staff. Theres a list on the Immigration web site.

Things may have changed since I arrived here 10 years back but I just came in on a Tourist visa, found a job and then applied for the work visa. As what you are interested in is quite specific, i would suggest Googling the wine trade associations and the like or even subscribing to one of the better NZ wine magazines to get contacts whom you could approach directly. These links might be of interest: http://www.winenzmagazine.co.nz/ http://www.drinksbiz.co.nz/#/homepage/ Good Luck!

Look into the working holiday programme. As a recent university graduate this visa would be your likely best option.

Are Americans eligible for WHVs?
I can't see wine makers on Immigration NZ's lst of needed occupations so you might be out of luck. If you can swing a WHV you'd be better off going to a wine-growing region such as Marlborough or Hawkes Bay rather than AKL.