Wine Sales Specialist - IL

Grand Cru Selections Grand CRU Selections; Skokie (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO and work-life balance

Comprehensive medical insurance fully.

401(k) plan with employer matching

Job summary

Grand Cru Selections IL is seeking a charismatic sales professional to represent our curated portfolio of wineries across Chicago and the greater metropolitan area. You will cultivate partnerships with top restaurants and retailers, championing the stories behind each bottle for your clients.

As part of a collaborative team, you’ll serve as a trusted advisor and brand ambassador, bridging winemaking artistry with hospitality.

Qualifications

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a drive to grow the business.
• Strong communication and marketing abilities to promote partners’ stories.
• Experience in wine/hospitality sales is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Make regular sales visits to cultivate strong client relationships and deliver exceptional service.
• Host on-site tastings and lead seminars to educate accounts about the portfolio.
• Build and nurture key account partnerships that drive measurable growth.
• Implement and execute strategic sales initiatives to meet targets.
• Allocate at least 75% of time to market activities and field work.
• Collaborate with management on inventory reduction and forecasting.
• Enter orders, review inventory, generate reports and analyze business data.
• Meet monthly/quarterly/yearly sales goals and create territory sales forecasts.
• Process new account setup and changes, ensuring proper documentation.
• Track receipts and expense reports per company guidelines.
• Liaise between customer and internal teams to ensure timely invoicing.
• Create event budgets and ROI projections.

Skills

Entrepreneurial spirit

Strong communication

Marketing skills

Tools

Microsoft Office

Business Central

Job description

Are you passionate about wine, storytelling, and building lasting relationships in the hospitality world? Grand Cru Selections IL is seeking a charismatic sales professional to represent our curated portfolio of exceptional wineries across Chicago and greater metropolitan area.

In this role, you’ll cultivate partnerships with top restaurants and retailers, championing the voices behind each bottle and bringing their stories to life for our clients. As part of a collaborative, vision-driven team, you’ll serve as both a trusted advisor and brand ambassador - bridging the artistry of winemaking with the vibrancy of the hospitality community.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Make regular sales visits to cultivate strong client relationships, ensuring exceptional service and satisfaction
• Bring a spirit of hospitality and a commitment to education when engaging with accounts—whether hosting on-site tastings, leading seminars, or supporting company events
• Build and nurture key account partnerships that drive measurable growth
• Implement and execute strategic sales initiatives
• Spend at least 75% of time doing market work
• Collaborate with management and colleagues on inventory reduction strategies and goals
• Work within our operating systems, to enter orders, look at inventory, build reports and analyze business.
• Meet monthly/quarterly/yearly sales goals for volume and activity of supplier wineries as set by management ADMINSITRATION & FINANCE
• Create territory sales forecasts
• Receive and process customer orders through company operating systems
• Communicate inventory and pricing discrepancies with customers to maintain order accuracy
• Process new account set-up and changes, ensuring all documents are properly recorded
• Track and submit receipt and expense reports in accordance with company guidelines
• Liaise between customer and internal teams to process accurate and timely invoices
• Create Event Budgets & ROI projections

QUALIFICATIONS

• Entrepreneurial spirit
• Fine wine sales experience - Minimum 1 year
• Strong communication and marketing skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office and Business Central is beneficial but not required
• Present a polished and professional image
• Must be able to lift 10 - 25 lbs.
• Must embody the Company Core Values...

Conscientious - we do what is right with integrity and empathy.

Authentic - we are genuine and honest. We take care of our relationships.

Forward Thinking - we forge our own path by consistently evolving and creating new opportunities.

Excellence - we achieve bold results through the execution of a great process. We believe that taking care of our team is essential to delivering exceptional work. That’s why we offer a robust benefits package designed to support your well-being both on and off the clock. Enjoy generous paid time off to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance, along with comprehensive medical insurance fully covered by the company. We also offer a 401(k) plan with employer matching to help you invest in your future.

BENEFITS

• Generous paid time off to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Comprehensive medical insurance fully covered by the company
• 401(k) plan with employer matching

At every step, we’re committed to creating a workplace where you feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Grand Cru Selections IL is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.