Wine Associate

District Winery--Wine Associate (Full Time)

District Winery is building one of Washington, D.C.'s most dynamic urban winery experiences, and we are seeking hospitality professionals who want to be part of that vision!

The Tasting Room Associate at First Batch plays a pivotal role in delivering a world-class guest experience. In this hourly position, you will engage with guests, showcasing our wines, small plates, and overall winery experience. You will be responsible for confidently guiding guests through wine tastings, recommending wine pairings, and promoting our Wine Club and retail bottles. As a key representative of First Batch your primary goal is to enhance the guest experience while driving membership sales, retail bottle purchases, and awareness of our events, tours, and classes. This position requires a deep knowledge of our wines and events, a genuine passion for wine, and the ability to work seamlessly with a team.

The Wine Associate is a wine-driven service role for individuals with an existing foundation in wine and fine dining hospitality. This is not an entry-level position. We are looking for professionals who are confident in their wine knowledge, committed to continued education, and motivated to grow within a serious wine program. In this role, you will guide guests through thoughtful tastings, curate food and wine pairings, and serve as a trusted ambassador of our wines, Wine Club, and experiences. The ideal candidate blends polished service with authentic warmth and takes pride in delivering hospitality at the highest level.

Responsibilities:

• Deliver a refined, welcoming, and personalized guest experience
• Confidently lead structured wine tastings with clarity and professionalism
• Provide intentional food and wine pairing recommendations
• Anticipate guest needs and maintain seamless service standards
• Demonstrate strong working knowledge of grape varietals, regions, tasting structure, and food pairings
• Speak confidently about District Winery's portfolio and urban winemaking approach
• Actively pursue ongoing wine education and professional development
• Thoughtfully introduce and successfully close Wine Club memberships
• Drive retail bottle sales through consultative recommendations
• Promote tours, classes, and ticketed events
• Represent District Winery with professionalism and pride
• Collaborate seamlessly with culinary, events, and management teams
• Maintain a polished, organized, and fully stocked tasting room
• Execute opening, closing, and inventory procedures with precision
• Accurately process transactions and uphold cash handling standards

Qualifications:

• Minimum 1+ year of service experience in casual fine dining or fine dining required
• Existing wine knowledge required (varietals, regions, tasting notes, structure, pairings)
• Wine certification (WSET, CMS, or equivalent) strongly preferred
• Full-time availability required, including evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Professional, polished demeanor with a genuine passion for wine and hospitality
• Interest in building a long-term career in wine-focused hospitality

Essential Duties:

• Ability to stand and/or walk for 8–10 hours per shift
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Ability to navigate stairs within the venue
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays

District Winery provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.