Back Waiter

Realm Cellars; St. Helena (CA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

Realm Cellars is seeking a Back Waiter to elevate the tasting room experience at Realm Houyi on Pritchard Hill. You will work with Realm Ambassadors and the Realm X team to ensure seamless service, anticipate guest needs, and maintain impeccable tableside detail.

The role fits someone with fine-dining instincts who wants to build a career in wine and luxury hospitality, with a schedule Friday through Sunday 10:00am–5:00pm and occasional longer hours during peak seasons.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of service experience in fine dining, luxury hotel, or premium tasting room.
• Genuine wine interest; WSET or CMS coursework is a plus, not required.
• Composed under pressure with attention to detail and polish.
• Able to work weekends and holidays; CA food handler rules apply.
• Team-first mindset and ability to collaborate with ambassadors and kitchen.

Responsibilities

• Execute daily mise en place for tasting room and service stations.
• Support ambassadors during tastings; pours, clears, resets glassware.
• Maintain spotless service areas; discreet resets between guests.
• Assist with food service for enhanced tastings and estate events.
• Manage stemware and service inventory; track breakages.
• Support event setup and breakdown for member milestones and releases.
• Uphold Realm's standards of discretion, warmth, and precision.

Skills

Fine dining service

Wine knowledge

Strong front-of-house

Team player

Weekend availability

Education

WSET coursework (preferred)

CMS coursework (preferred)

Tools

POS system experience

Job description

About Realm Cellars

In 2012, Scott Becker set out to revive a nearly bankrupt brand with an audacious vision: to become one of the iconic wines of Napa Valley’s next generation. Realm 2.0 began as a virtual winery with no vineyards, and within a decade transformed into a collection of three winegrowing estates with 75 acres planted across Napa Valley — Realm Farella in Coombsville, Realm Moonracer in the Stags Leap District, and Realm Houyi on Pritchard Hill. Today, the portfolio includes a dozen wines, each with its own story, all reflecting the diversity and greatness of Napa Valley.

Since 2012, Realm has earned recognition as one of Napa Valley’s most electrifying wine producers, garnering numerous 100-point reviews from leading critics and cultivating a global community of collectors. From startup roots to an established domaine, Realm represents one of the defining success stories of Napa Valley’s modern era.

Summary

The Back Waiter is the quiet engine of our tasting experience at Realm Houyi (map), our vineyard and winery on Pritchard Hill — one of Napa Valley's most challenging and prestigious growing areas. Working alongside Realm Ambassadors and the Realm X team, you keep every tasting seamless — anticipating needs before they're spoken and holding the details to the last 1%. This role is ideal for someone with fine-dining service instincts who wants to build a career in wine and luxury hospitality.

The schedule for this role is 10:00am - 5:00pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the occasional need for extended hours during peak seasons.

Responsibilities

• Execute daily mise en place: tasting room setup, table settings, stemware polishing, and service stations prepared to spec
• Support Ambassadors during tastings — pouring water, clearing and resetting glassware, running wine and food courses
• Maintain immaculate service areas throughout the day, including discreet resets between guest parties
• Assist with food service for enhanced tastings and estate events, coordinating with culinary partners
• Manage stemware and service inventory: washing, polishing, tracking, and flagging breakage or shortages
• Support event setup and breakdown for member milestones, releases, and private experiences
• Uphold Realm's standards of discretion, warmth, and precision in every guest interaction

Qualifications

• 1+ years of service experience in fine dining, a luxury hotel, or a premium tasting room
• Genuine curiosity about wine — WSET or CMS coursework a plus, not a requirement
• Composed under pressure, with the anticipation and polish of a strong front-of-house operator
• Detail-obsessed: you notice the water glass at half, the smudged stem, the chair out of line
• A team-first mindset — together we are resilient
• Able to work weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and some holidays
• 21+ with the ability to work legally in the U.S.; CA food handler card (or willingness to obtain)

Physical Requirements

• Full-body mobility: The ability to stand, walk, sit, reach, raise hands above the head, climb stairs, kneel, crouch, talk, hear, and accurately taste and smell.
• Must be able to lift 50 lbs. safely.
• Hearing ability adequate to effectively communicate with co-workers and customers.
• Able to work indoors and outdoors.
• Can sustain extended periods of standing or walking on concrete floors.

Work Environment

This job primarily operates in a professional office environment and may make occasional visits to a production facility with exposure to dust, gas, and/or fumes, hazardous materials, and high noise levels. The employee must be able to work at various temperatures and humidity levels. Responsible for maintaining a safe, friendly, positive, and conscientious work environment.