Tasting Room and Hospitality Manager

Tasting & Tap Room Expo; Walla Walla (WA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

House of Smith, K Vintners LLC in Walla Walla, WA seeks a Tasting Room Hospitality Manager to lead all tasting room operations, deliver memorable guest experiences, and drive Direct-to-Consumer revenue through events, wine club growth, and exceptional service.

You will coach staff, coordinate with winemaking and owner teams, manage scheduling and facilities, and ensure hospitality excellence from guest inquiry to post-visit engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead by example in providing exceptional hospitality and personalized service to all guests, wine club members, and visitors.
• Create and maintain a welcoming, engaging, and memorable tasting room experience that encourages customer loyalty and repeat visitation.
• Foster a culture of hospitality excellence through coaching, training, and performance management.
• Address guest concerns and service issues promptly, professionally, and with a solutions-oriented approach.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with wine club members, VIP guests, and repeat customers.
• Ensure all customer inquiries, including emails, phone calls, text messages, and online requests, are responded to promptly and professionally.
• Oversee the appearance, cleanliness, and overall ambiance of the tasting room and outdoor hospitality spaces.
• Working very closely with the owner, Charles Smith, plan, coordinate, and execute winery events, wine club gatherings, private tastings, and special guest experiences from concept to completion.
• Manage event logistics, including scheduling, vendor coordination, venue setup, staffing, and event timelines to ensure seamless execution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendors, partners, and event stakeholders, maintaining strong professional relationships and service standards.
• Coordinate event budgets, track expenses, and identify cost-effective solutions while maintaining a high-quality guest experience.
• Oversee event preparation and day-of operations, ensuring all details are executed efficiently and exceed guest expectations.
• Support the development and implementation of promotional strategies to increase event attendance, wine club participation, and customer retention.
• Evaluate event outcomes and guest feedback to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and enhanced customer experiences.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, train, and develop tasting room staff to deliver exceptional guest experiences and achieve sales goals.
• Provide ongoing leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to tasting room employees.
• Partner with the Winemaking team to provide ongoing wine education and product knowledge training.
• Schedule and lead regular team meetings focused on hospitality, operational updates, sales initiatives, and employee engagement.
• Develop staff schedules that balance operational needs with excellent guest service coverage.
• Conduct performance evaluations and assist with employee development planning under the direction of Charles Smith.
• Promote a positive, collaborative, and inclusive work environment.
• Develop and implement strategies to increase tasting room revenue, wine sales, wine club memberships, and merchandise sales.
• Establish, monitor, and report on sales goals and key performance indicators.
• Coach staff on effective sales techniques, wine club conversion opportunities, and customer relationship-building.
• Partner with the Wine Club Manager to achieve membership acquisition, retention, and engagement goals.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies and procedures as well as federal, state, and local regulations governing alcoholic beverage sales, shipping, marketing, and workplace safety.
• Forecast tasting room inventory needs and coordinate with internal teams to maintain appropriate inventory levels.
• Coordinate and manage public tastings, private experiences, VIP visits, and group hospitality events.
• Maintain accurate records, reporting, and operational documentation.

Job description

The Tasting Room and Hospitality Manager is responsible for leading all aspects of tasting room operations while delivering memorable guest experiences that reflect the winery's brand, values, and culture. This position oversees staff development, sales performance, wine club growth, event planning and execution, scheduling, and facility management while fostering a welcoming, service-oriented environment for guests, wine club members, and visitors. This position collaborates closely with the owner, Wine Club, and Winemaking teams to achieve Direct-to-Consumer revenue goals and execute engaging hospitality experiences that drive brand loyalty and customer engagement.

Performance Duties and Responsibilities

Hospitality & Guest Experience

• Lead by example in providing exceptional hospitality and personalized service to all guests, wine club members, and visitors.
• Create and maintain a welcoming, engaging, and memorable tasting room experience that encourages customer loyalty and repeat visitation.
• Foster a culture of hospitality excellence through coaching, training, and performance management.
• Address guest concerns and service issues promptly, professionally, and with a solutions-oriented approach.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with wine club members, VIP guests, and repeat customers.
• Ensure all customer inquiries, including emails, phone calls, text messages, and online requests, are responded to promptly and professionally.
• Oversee the appearance, cleanliness, and overall ambiance of the tasting room and outdoor hospitality spaces.

Event Planning & Coordination

• Working very closely with the owner, Charles Smith, plan, coordinate, and execute winery events, wine club gatherings, private tastings, and special guest experiences from concept to completion.
• Manage event logistics, including scheduling, vendor coordination, venue setup, staffing, and event timelines to ensure seamless execution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendors, partners, and event stakeholders, maintaining strong professional relationships and service standards.
• Coordinate event budgets, track expenses, and identify cost-effective solutions while maintaining a high-quality guest experience.
• Oversee event preparation and day-of operations, ensuring all details are executed efficiently and exceed guest expectations.
• Support the development and implementation of promotional strategies to increase event attendance, wine club participation, and customer retention.
• Evaluate event outcomes and guest feedback to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and enhanced customer experiences.

Leadership & Team Development

• Recruit, hire, onboard, train, and develop tasting room staff to deliver exceptional guest experiences and achieve sales goals.
• Provide ongoing leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to tasting room employees.
• Partner with the Winemaking team to provide ongoing wine education and product knowledge training.
• Schedule and lead regular team meetings focused on hospitality, operational updates, sales initiatives, and employee engagement.
• Develop staff schedules that balance operational needs with excellent guest service coverage.
• Conduct performance evaluations and assist with employee development planning under the direction of Charles Smith.
• Promote a positive, collaborative, and inclusive work environment.

Sales & Business Development

• Develop and implement strategies to increase tasting room revenue, wine sales, wine club memberships, and merchandise sales.
• Establish, monitor, and report on sales goals and key performance indicators.
• Coach staff on effective sales techniques, wine club conversion opportunities, and customer relationship-building.
• Partner with the Wine Club Manager to achieve membership acquisition, retention, and engagement goals.

Operations & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all company policies and procedures as well as federal, state, and local regulations governing alcoholic beverage sales, shipping, marketing, and workplace safety.
• Forecast tasting room inventory needs and coordinate with internal teams to maintain appropriate inventory levels.
• Coordinate and manage public tastings, private experiences, VIP visits, and group hospitality events.
• Maintain accurate records, reporting, and operational documentation.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Tasting Room Associates

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

House of Smith, K Vintners LLC
Tiffany Zorb