Sommelier | Cape Town | Premium Casual Dining

HotelJobs; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 320,000 - 460,000; Full time

Job summary

HotelJobs in Cape Town seeks a skilled Sommelier for a premium casual dining opening in October. Lead wine program, curate South African and international selections, and train staff in pairings and service excellence.

You will manage cellar operations, control costs, and build strong relationships with local estates and distributors to deliver unmatched guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Recognized sommelier certification (WSET 3 / SASA / Court of Master Sommeliers).
• Minimum 2–3 years of sommelier/head wine steward experience in upscale venues.
• Strong wine knowledge, especially South African regions, with cost awareness.

Responsibilities

• Finalize wine list with SA producers, craft spirits, and international selections.
• Establish cellar organization, storage protocols, stock-taking, and POS mappings.
• Provide beverage and wine-pairing training for Front-of-House.
• Engage guests with confident wine recommendations and bespoke pairings.
• Manage cellar stock, monitor margins, control costs, minimize wastage.
• Build relationships with local estates, distributors, and producers.

Skills

Wine knowledge

Customer service

Sales & upselling

Team collaboration

Education

Sommelier certification

Job description

Sommelier | Cape Town | Premium Casual Dining

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Opening & Program Setup

• Work alongside executive leadership to finalize the wine list, highlighting South African producers, craft spirits, and international selections.
• Establish cellar organization, beverage storage protocols, stock-taking procedures, and POS inventory mappings.
• Conduct comprehensive beverage and wine-pairing training for the entire Front-of-House floor team.

Floor Service & Guest Engagement

• Be a dynamic presence on the restaurant floor, offering confident, unpretentious wine recommendations and floor pairings.
• Engage with guests to deliver bespoke dining experiences that build brand loyalty and repeat custom.

Cellar & Financial Management

• Manage cellar stock, monitor wine margins, control beverage costs, and minimize wastage.
• Build strong relationships with local wine estates, distributors, and boutique wine producers.

Candidate Profile

Qualifications

• Recognized Sommelier certification (e.g., WSET Level 3, SASA Sommelier, or Court of Master Sommeliers certification).

Experience

• Minimum 2-3 years of Sommelier or Head Wine Steward experience in an upmarket restaurant, 5-star hotel, or luxury dining venue.

Approach

• Modern, approachable, and engaging - able to make wine accessible and exciting without unnecessary formality.

Skills

• Solid understanding of South African wine regions, sound financial awareness (costings/stock control), and strong floor presence.

Salary package: Market related Start: September for October opening.