Los Gatos CA - Tasting Room Manager

Job Description:

TASTING ROOM MANAGER
Byington Winery — Santa Cruz Mountains, CA
Base Salary: $26-30/hr DOE | Plus performance incentives
Schedule: Tasting Hours: Friday – Sunday
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ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
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Byington Winery is a boutique estate winery nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains — one of California's most distinctive and storied appellations. We produce small-lot, terroir-driven wines and offer guests an intimate, elevated tasting experience unlike anything found in larger wine regions.
We are looking for a dynamic, sales-minded leader to take ownership of our tasting room and drive a genuine turnaround. This is not a caretaker role — it's an opportunity for an entrepreneurial hospitality professional to rebuild a team, energize a guest experience, and directly grow revenue and wine club membership. The right candidate will be empowered to make this role their own, with meaningful performance-based upside to match.
If you've grown tasting room sales, converted walk-in guests into loyal members, and built a strong hospitality team — we want to talk.
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WHAT YOU'LL OWN
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Guest Experience & Sales
•  Set the tone for every guest interaction — creating personalized, memorable tasting experiences that reflect the quality and story of Byington's wines and the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation
•  Drive tasting room revenue through skilled storytelling, consultative selling, and genuine hospitality — not high-pressure tactics
•  Personally engage with guests on the floor during peak tasting hours, modeling the standard you expect from your team
•  Resolve guest concerns promptly and with grace
Team Leadership & Development
•  Recruit, hire, train, and develop a high-performing tasting room team that reflects Byington's standards
•  Build a culture of accountability, warmth, and excellence — coaching staff on wine knowledge, sales technique, and hospitality
•  Manage scheduling and staffing to ensure optimal coverage during tasting hours (Friday–Sunday) and events
•  Conduct regular performance reviews and provide ongoing, constructive feedback
Operations & Compliance
•  Manage tasting room inventory — wine, merchandise, and supplies — with accurate record-keeping
•  Oversee POS systems, daily sales reporting, and cash handling procedures
•  Maintain a tasting room environment that is consistently clean, organized, and presentation-ready
•  Ensure full compliance with California ABC regulations and all local health and safety requirements
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COMPENSATION & INCENTIVES
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We believe the right person for this role should be rewarded for results. In addition to the $26-$30 hourly wage, this position includes a performance incentive plan.
We will walk through the full incentive structure transparently during the interview process.
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WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
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Required
•  3+ years of tasting room, hospitality, or experiential retail experience, with at least 1–2 years in a leadership or supervisory role
•  Demonstrated track record of driving sales and/or growing wine club membership — please come ready to discuss specific numbers
•  Strong floor presence: you're energized by guest interaction, not just comfortable with it
•  Experience recruiting, training, and developing a hospitality team
•  Excellent communication skills and genuine warmth with guests and staff alike
•  Availability Friday - Sunday, including holidays
Strongly Preferred
•  Wine knowledge commensurate with the role: WSET Level 2+, CSW, or Sommelier certification preferred; deep practical knowledge considered equally
•  Familiarity with the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation and its wines
•  Experience developing local partnerships or community outreach to drive tasting room traffic
•  Proficiency with wine DTC platforms (Commerce7 or similar) and POS systems
The Right Mindset
•  You see a quiet tasting room as a problem to solve, not an easy afternoon
•  You take ownership — of results, of the team, of the guest experience
•  You're as comfortable building a relationship with a first-time visitor as you are discussing vineyard designates with a collector
•  You're excited by a turnaround opportunity, not deterred by one
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ABOUT BYINGTON WINERY
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Byington Vineyard & Winery sits on 95 acres of mountainous terrain in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, surrounded by redwood forests with sweeping views of Monterey Bay. Byington produces award-winning Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and other varietals from our 8-acre Estate vineyard and the 36-acre Tin Cross Vineyards in Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak — with a deep commitment to sustainability and biodynamic growing practices. Guests are invited to explore our wines, our land, and one of the most beautiful tasting room settings in Northern California.
Byington Winery is an equal opportunity employer.

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