Tasting Room Host | Sales and Hospitality

Tasting & Tap Room Expo; Windsor (CA); Hybrid; USD 34,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Employee wine and merch discounts

Job summary

Martinelli Winery in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley seeks a Full-Time Tasting Room Host focused on wine sales and hospitality. You will join a team dedicated to creating memorable guest experiences.

Responsibilities include hosting tastings, sharing the Martinelli story, tailoring experiences, and confidently guiding guests toward memberships while building lasting relationships. Weekend/holiday availability is expected.

Qualifications

• Experience in winery tasting rooms or high-touch hospitality environments preferred.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to sell and build guest relationships.
• Formal wine education is welcome but not required.

Responsibilities

• Host engaging, personalized tastings in indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Share the Martinelli story in a knowledgeable, approachable way.
• Tailor experiences to guests, from first-time visitors to collectors.
• Confidently recommend and sell wines based on guest interests.
• Introduce guests to membership and allocations, driving engagement.
• Process sales, memberships, reservations and orders in our systems.
• Maintain guest-ready spaces and support daily Tasting Room operations.

Skills

Sales ability

Wine knowledge

Hospitality

Communication skills

Education

Wine education (WSET/CMS/SWE welcomed)

Tools

Commerce7

Tock

Job description

Tasting Room Host | Sales and Hospitality

Martinelli Winery is seeking an experienced professional focused on wine sales and hospitality to join our team as a Full-Time Tasting Room Host.

For five generations and more than 135 years, the Martinelli family has farmed in Sonoma County. Today, we farm more than 470 acres of estate vineyards across the Russian River Valley, Green Valley and Fort Ross-Seaview, producing small-production, vineyard-designate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Syrah, with wines regularly recognized in the 90+ point range.

As part of our continued investment in our hospitality program, we are looking for someone who wants to join a successful, energetic team where hospitality, wine knowledge, relationship building and sales all matter.

This is not simply a wine-pouring position. Our best Hosts know how to tell our compelling story, make serious wine approachable, confidently ask for the sale, and turn a great visit into a lasting relationship with Martinelli.

If you know wine, take pride in great hospitality and are motivated by performance, we would like to meet you.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Host engaging, personalized tastings across our indoor and outdoor hospitality spaces.
• Share the Martinelli story in a knowledgeable, natural and approachable way.
• Tailor each experience to the guest, from first-time wine visitors to serious collectors.
• Confidently recommend and sell wines based on each guest's interests and preferences.
• Introduce guests to Martinelli membership and allocation opportunities in a compelling way.
• Build relationships that encourage long-term engagement with the winery.
• Work toward individual and team sales and membership goals while keeping hospitality first.
• Accurately process sales, memberships, reservations and orders through our DTC systems.
• Maintain polished, organized and guest-ready hospitality spaces and contribute to daily Tasting Room operations, including opening and closing, setup and breakdown, restocking, order packing and glassware.

We are a small, high-performing team. Everyone contributes, everyone sells, and everyone supports the success of the winery.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for someone who combines hospitality instincts, wine knowledge and strong sales ability.

You know how to communicate wine confidently without relying on a script, and you understand when a guest wants a deeper technical conversation and when they simply want to enjoy great wine. You are motivated by sales and comfortable asking for the sale but understand that strong sales usually begin with a great guest experience.

You are a strong teammate, take coaching well, want to improve and take pride in doing things properly.

EXPERIENCE

• Previous winery tasting room experience is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional candidates from luxury hospitality, fine dining, hotels or another high-touch hospitality and sales environment will also be considered.
• Demonstrated sales ability and a solid foundation in wine knowledge are important.
• Formal wine education such as WSET, CMS or SWE is welcomed but not required.
• Experience with Commerce7 and Tock is a plus.
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills are required.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

$25–$27/hour DOE, plus sales commission, membership incentives, and tips.

This position offers meaningful earnings. Based on actual Martinelli Tasting Room compensation over the most recent 12-month period, established full-time Hosts earned approximately $38–$42+ per hour in total compensation, inclusive of base wages, incentives and tips. During stronger months, total compensation reached approximately $45–$50 per hour.

Actual earnings vary based on hours worked, guest volume, sales performance, incentives and gratuities and are not guaranteed.

Full-time employees are also eligible for:

• Company-sponsored health and dental insurance
• 401(k) with up to 4% company match
• Company paid PTO and holidays
• Employee wine and merch discounts

SCHEDULE & REQUIRMENTS

This is a full-time, on-site position at Martinelli Winery in the Russian River Valley. Weekend and holiday availability is required, along with occasional evening availability for winery events.

Candidates must be at least 21 years old, be able to stand and move throughout the majority of the workday, work comfortably both indoors and outdoors, and repeatedly lift and maneuver wine cases weighing up to 50 lbs.

WHY MARTINELLI

This is a strong opportunity for someone who wants to build a career in wine hospitality and sales.

You will represent highly regarded, estate-grown wines, host everyone from first-time visitors to serious collectors, and have a direct impact on the success of our winery.

You will also be joining a small team of strong wine sales professionals who work hard, support each other and take real pride in both the guest experience and the results.

Strong performance is recognized. Successful Hosts have meaningful earning potential, and those who demonstrate leadership and initiative have the opportunity to take on greater responsibility.

If you bring energy, curiosity, wine knowledge, sales confidence and a genuine enjoyment of hospitality, we would like to hear from you.

Martinelli Winery is an equal opportunity employer