Cellar Door & Bistro Captain

Amisfield; Queenstown; On-site; NZD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous wine allowance

Health and financial insurance

Wellbeing support

Free staff meals

Job summary

Amisfield, a Michelin-starred estate in Central Otago, seeks a Captain for its Cellar Door & Bistro in Queenstown. This hands-on, guest-facing role brings wine and food to life through tastings, serving, and managing a personal section, while turning guests into ambassadors.

You’ll gain wine and food training, learn about winemaking, viticulture and restaurant ops, and grow your knowledge in hospitality. Daytime, full-time hours with growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Love of wine and food with a desire to learn
• Experience in hospitality, sales, food service, or retail
• Confident with tastings and serving food with knowledge
• Ability to manage your own section and guest experience
• Proactive team player with strong communication and organisational skills
• Bonus: WSET qualification or CRM experience

Responsibilities

• Conduct wine tastings and accompany guests through the experience
• Serve food with care and knowledge
• Manage your own service section, pacing and guest flow
• Engage with guests to turn them into Amisfield ambassadors
• Collaborate with team to hit cellar door and bistro targets

Skills

Wine knowledge

Guest interaction

Tastings

Food service

Section management

CRM experience

Education

WSET qualification

Duty Manager's Certificate

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Join the newly awarded Michelin star restaurant team at Amisfield, situated on the shores of Lake Hayes in Queenstown.

We're looking for a new Captain to join our Cellar Door & Bistro offer — a hands-on, guest-facing role where you'll bring our wines and food to life, conducting tastings, serving food, managing your own section, and turning every guest into an Amisfield ambassador.

You'll receive wine and food training, and work with the rest of the team to achieve cellar door and bistro targets. You'll also gain insight into our winemaking, viticulture, and restaurant operations — an incredible opportunity to grow your knowledge and career in the wine and hospitality industry.

About Amisfield

We are a Central Otago icon — a 92-hectare, single-vineyard estate producing world-class Pinot Noir and aromatic whites with remarkable characteristics. And we’re proud to be recognised as:

• Michelin Star — awarded to our restaurant
• Riedel Vineyard of the Year – Aotearoa Organic Wine Awards 2024
• Sustainable Vineyard of the Year – NZ Organic Wine Awards 2023
• Winery of the Yearin both 2022 and 2020

What We're Looking For

You'll thrive in this role if you:

• Have a genuine love of wine and food, and a thirst to learn more about both
• Enjoy engaging with people from all over the world and creating memorable experiences
• Are confident conducting tastings and comfortable serving food with the same care and knowledge
• Can manage your own section — pacing, timing, and guest experience all in your hands
• Have hospitality, sales, food service, or retail experience
• Are a proactive team player with strong communication and organisational skills
• (Bonus!) Have a WSET qualification, Duty Manager's Certificate, or CRM experience

What's in it for You

• Full-time hours (30+ hrs per week) and daytime shifts, Wednesday to Sunday
• Competitive remuneration + the opportunity to earn uncapped commission
• Perks such as a generous wine allowance, discounts on dining and wine, health and financial insurance, wellbeing support, and free staff meals
• A supportive, professional, and award-winning team environment
• Unmatched views, outstanding food and wine, and the chance to grow your career with one of New Zealand's most celebrated hospitality teams
  

If you're ready to share your passion for wine and food, connect with guests from around the world, and be part of an exceptional team — we'd love to hear from you.