WineTalent Classifieds: Winery Ambassador: Luxury Wine Club Management

WineTalent is working with our St. Helena, California based winery to find a wine club manager to drive new business to the winery's luxury portfolio wine club. This will be done by cultivating relationship with local businesses while developing the guest experience for the luxury portfolio at the winery and at the private estate vineyard. 

Seeking an entreprenurial spirit that is poised, elegant and a true hospitality professional, this winery is looking for a key member of their team. 

Responsiblities: 

• Execute a member-centric guest experience when hosting luxury portfolio members and their guests. 
• Creating diverse tasting room offerings that cater to the luxury guest. 
• Cultivate a strong relationship with current members, members of the winery's other wine clubs and VIPs. 
• Work closely with the hospitality team to create unique and highly enjoyable experiences. 
• Increased sales from wine club members and increased membership and retention levels. 
• Foster and build on relationships with other businesses within the wine industry that will create continuous referrals and repeat business. 
• Maintain reservations, protocols, follow-ups, standards, trainings and reporting. 

Qualifications: 

• Expertise in selling luxury, lifestyle goods. 
• Excellent wine knowledge and hospitality experience. WSET and CSW Certifications highly desirable. 
• Bachelor's degree in Hotel and Hospitality Management, Communications, Business, Finance or related discipline. Related work expeirence in lieu of a degree will also be considered. 
• 5+ years of hospitality experience. 
• Knowledge of retail and hospitality software database systems. 
• Ability to lift, move and carry wines up to 65 lbs. 
• Valid Driver's License and insurability by company.

All communications will be kept completely confidential.  Please email your resume to amy@winetalent.net.

What Certifications Make Sense in the Wine Industry

Frequently I get asked about what Certifications make sense for people in the wine industry. While I see a lot of different programs out there, I recently posed the question to my Facebook Friends. Here's the feedback I got.

WSET is a good foundation for Masters of Wine, which is a good background for writers or wine shop owners. The Master Sommelier certification is best for people working in restaurants and similar settings. As my FB friend wrote, the MS Certification is good so you can dance on a dining room floor, open all sizes of wine bottles, open a wine bottle with a saber, and talk the talk of food flavors, terroir and wine flavors.

As a sales person to restaurant and hotel client, the MS is appropriate in the fine dining world. It gives you a good working knowledge of wine, regions and service needs.

It looks like the WSET is a more rounded industry curriculum, while the MS is more specific for the restaurant wine professional.

Hope this is helpful. There are many wine education programs out there--if anyone has some feedback, I'd love to hear it.