Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Tasting Room Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Tasting Room Manager is the heart and soul of a winery's public-facing operations. This dynamic leader is responsible for curating a premium, memorable guest experience that translates into brand loyalty and robust sales. They are a master of hospitality, a savvy business operator, and an inspiring team leader. This role requires a unique blend of passion for wine, operational expertise, and a genuine talent for connecting with people. The Manager not only oversees the day-to-day functions of the tasting room but also plays a crucial role in the winery's overall direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategy, directly impacting revenue, brand reputation, and customer retention.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Assistant Tasting Room Manager
Lead Tasting Room Associate / Wine Educator
Hospitality Supervisor (in a luxury or fine-dining setting)

Advancement To:

Director of Hospitality / Director of DTC
Winery General Manager
Regional Retail Manager

Lateral Moves:

Wine Club Manager
Events Manager
Brand Ambassador

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the daily operations of the tasting room, ensuring a flawless, engaging, and premium guest experience from the moment of arrival to departure.
Recruit, hire, train, schedule, and continuously develop a high-performing team of tasting room associates, fostering a positive, collaborative, and sales-driven culture.
Develop and implement comprehensive and ongoing training programs for all staff, covering in-depth wine knowledge, brand history and story, sophisticated sales techniques, and elevated service standards.
Drive all direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, including wine purchases, merchandise, and wine club memberships, to consistently meet and exceed ambitious revenue targets.
Set, monitor, and report on individual and team sales goals, providing regular, constructive performance feedback and coaching to motivate the team and maximize results.
Serve as the ultimate brand ambassador, passionately and accurately communicating the winery's unique story, history, and winemaking philosophy to all guests and partners.
Develop and meticulously manage the tasting room's annual budget, including labor costs, cost of goods sold (COGS), supplies, and other operational expenses to ensure profitability.
Oversee all aspects of tasting room inventory, including strategic ordering of wine and merchandise, conducting precise monthly counts, and reconciling any discrepancies to minimize shrinkage and ensure product availability.
Ensure the seamless and efficient operation of the Point of Sale (POS) system, including comprehensive staff training, troubleshooting technical issues, and guaranteeing accurate daily cash handling and sales reporting.
Plan, coordinate, and flawlessly execute a wide variety of on-site events, from intimate private tastings and corporate functions to large-scale wine club parties, managing all logistical details from staffing to setup.
Cultivate and maintain strong, lasting relationships with wine club members, high-value clients, and key industry partners to encourage repeat business, referrals, and long-term loyalty.
Proactively and gracefully resolve guest issues and complaints with professionalism and empathy, turning challenging situations into opportunities for service recovery and positive brand reinforcement.
Uphold and enforce the highest standards of cleanliness, organization, and aesthetic presentation throughout the tasting room, patio, and all other guest-facing areas.
Collaborate closely with the marketing and winemaking teams to develop and implement promotional strategies, tasting menus, and guest experiences that are aligned with brand goals.
Ensure strict compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations regarding the responsible sale and service of alcohol, including staff certification and training.
Analyze sales data, foot traffic patterns, and guest feedback to identify key trends, opportunities for operational improvement, and potential new revenue streams.
Strategically develop and manage the tasting room staff schedule to ensure optimal coverage based on seasonality, reservations, and special events, while carefully controlling labor costs.
Lead energetic and informative pre-shift meetings to communicate daily goals, promotions, VIP guest information, and other pertinent details to the team.
Oversee the daily opening and closing procedures for the entire tasting room facility, ensuring all tasks are completed to standard and the property is secure.
Actively build and nurture relationships with local hospitality partners, such as hotels, destination management companies, and tour operators, to generate valuable referral business.
Manage and optimize the guest reservation system (e.g., Tock, CellarPass) to effectively control guest flow, maximize tasting room capacity, and enhance the visitor experience.
Create, update, and deploy educational materials and tasting notes for both staff and guests to enrich the learning experience and deepen brand connection.

Secondary Functions

Support the Wine Club Manager with acquisition strategies and member retention initiatives within the tasting room.
Contribute insights from the tasting room floor to inform new wine releases, product development, and overall brand strategy.
Assist the marketing team by capturing content and providing on-the-ground perspectives for social media and digital communications.
Participate in broader winery leadership meetings, representing the DTC channel and reporting on key performance indicators.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

POS System Proficiency: Deep experience with industry-specific POS systems such as WineDirect, Commerce7, or similar platforms.
Inventory Management: Proven ability to manage inventory control systems, conduct physical counts, and perform reconciliations.
Budgeting & Financial Acumen: Experience creating and managing departmental budgets, understanding P&L statements, and controlling costs.
Advanced Wine Knowledge: Formal wine education (WSET, CSW, or Sommelier certification) is highly valued; at a minimum, a deep and demonstrable passion for and knowledge of wine.
Event Planning & Execution: Demonstrable experience in planning and managing events of various sizes and complexities.
Staff Scheduling Software: Familiarity with scheduling tools like 7shifts, Homebase, or similar platforms to manage labor efficiently.
CRM & Reservation Systems: Competency in using Customer Relationship Management and reservation platforms (e.g., Tock) to manage guest data and bookings.

Soft Skills

Inspirational Leadership: The ability to hire, train, motivate, and lead a diverse team toward a common goal of excellence.
Exceptional Communication & Public Speaking: Polished, engaging, and confident when speaking to individuals, small groups, and large crowds. A natural storyteller.
Unwavering Customer Service Ethos: A genuine dedication to providing an unparalleled level of hospitality and creating "wow" moments for guests.
Strategic Salesmanship: The ability to sell without being pushy, coaching a team to upsell and cross-sell effectively while maintaining a gracious guest experience.
Poise & Problem-Solving: The capacity to remain calm, think on your feet, and make effective decisions under pressure, particularly when resolving guest issues.
Meticulous Organization: Superior organizational and time-management skills with a keen eye for detail in every aspect of the tasting room's operation and appearance.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or equivalent.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s Degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Hospitality Management
Business Administration
Marketing or Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-5 years of progressive management experience in a high-end hospitality, luxury retail, or winery tasting room environment.

Preferred:

Direct experience managing a winery tasting room or a similar DTC-focused beverage hospitality business is strongly preferred. A proven track record of successfully growing revenue and leading a high-performing team is essential.