Help Wanted: Full Time Weekend Tasting Room Manager

Fireside Winery is seeking a Full Time Weekend Tasting Room Manager.  The full description for the position is detailed below.   If you're interested in learning more about this position or joining our team, please contact Cassie Bott at 319-662-4222 or cassie@firesidewinery.com.

Position/Title:  Weekend Tasting Room Manager                           Posting Date:  4/24/13

Reports to:  Onsite Manager

Type:  Full Time Hourly

Hours:  35-50 hours per week; 2 weekends per month (Sat & Sun); most special events

Pay Scale:  based on experience

Job Location:  Marengo, Iowa

JOB SUMMARY
The Weekend Tasting Room Manager will be responsible for general operations within the tasting room on weekends and 2-3 days per week.  Duties include supervising tasting room staff, ensuring high levels of customer service, enforcing safe wine service, general winery cleanliness and proper inventory levels of all available products and services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

1.      Assist customers with wine sampling and purchases.

2.      Provide excellent customer service.  Suggest areas for improvement.

3.      Become proficient with Fireside Winery’s Point of Sale System (VinNOW).  Be able to program, train and resolve issues with VinNOW.

4.      Reconcile daily receipts and identify/resolve inaccuracies

5.      Direct Tasting Room staff in regards to productivity, customer service and training.

6.      Open and close winery.  Ensuring the facility is safe and secure prior to leaving site.

7.      Identify training needs for winery staff and make appropriate educational suggestions to complete those training needs.  Develop and lead training sessions.

8.      Manage inventories of food, wine and retail items.

a.      Perform random inventory audits

b.      Keep food inventory on hand as determined by Onsite Manager

c.       Identify needs in gift and retail area; assist Onsite Manager with orders

d.      Maintain clean back stock area; ensure all retail items are stocked in front

9.      Monitor winery cleanliness inside and on winery grounds.

a.      Ensure winery sanitation and cleanliness standards are being complied with within winery and kitchen

b.      Work individually and with staff to make sure all facilities are clean at all times

10.  Be/become knowledgeable on winemaking and of Fireside Winery’s history, current productions and Fireside wines.

11.  Provide basic winery tours upon visitor request.

12.  Maintain a good working relationship with all winery staff.

13.  Enforce safety guidelines in regarding wine service, food safety, etc.

14.  Manage donation requests.  Compile by date, make recommendations to Onsite Manager.  Assist with fulfillment of requests.

15.  Create monthly schedule for part time staff. Coordinate multiple staff schedules.

16.  Oversee procedures for Fan Club member processing in VinNOW including renewals and special mailings.

17.  Work with minimal supervision and make decisions in the best interest of the winery and customer if owners or Onsite Manager is not available for consultation.

18.  Effectively communicate with owners and Onsite manager of problems and opportunities identified.  Suggest solutions.

19.  Assist Onsite manager wherever necessary i.e. special events, wine tastings, merchandising, etc.

20.  Advise the Onsite Manager of areas where the company can save money and promote company efficiencies.

21.  Other duties as assigned by owners.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

1.                  During the first week of employment, the new hire must complete the following training:

1. Introduction to Wine
2. State of Iowa Alcohol Service training

2.                  New hire must be physically able to:

1. Lift and move 45 lb cases of wine.
2. While carrying wine; bend, reach, squat, pull, and push.

3.                  Operate a motor vehicle.  Possess a valid drivers license and a clean driving record.

4.                  Proficiently use Microsoft Word, Excel

5.                  Email literate and ability to conduct professional business correspondence

6.                  Ability to operate calculator

7.                  Prior customer service experience

The following are not required but preferred:

1.                  Knowledge of wine making

2.                  Appreciation of wine

3.                  Prior management experience

4.                  Experience with VinNOW computer software or other Point of Sale Systems

Your Mother Will Love It

Still thinking of how to treat your mom this Mother's Day, Sunday, May 12th?  How about a Sunday afternoon picnic at Fireside's Brickyard Hill Vineyard?  

New this year, Fireside Winery is opening up its Vineyard, located 5 miles west of the Winery, to wine friends who would like to enjoy a relaxing and casual picnic among the vines.  The picnics are offered on the 2nd Sunday of each month, May - September, and will provide visitors with a chance to see how the grape vines unfold from buds in May to full, ripe berries in September.  


For $25, we'll provide a gourmet boxed lunch, bottle of wine, water and a blanket, all to be enjoyed at the Vineyard.   Reservations for lunches are required by the Thursday prior at 4 pm.  Call or email Cassie Bott, 319-662-4222 or cassie@firesidewinery.com.

On May 12, the picnic will consist of a Poppyseed Chicken Pita, Italian pasta, and a Peanut Butter Brownie.  And of course, wine and bottled water.  

Times for the event are 11:30 am to 1:30 pm and will be held rain or shine.  All parties attending the event should meet at the Winery at 11:15 am, and we'll travel in caravan to the Vineyard.  In the event of rain, the picnic will take place at Fireside Winery.  Feel free to bring extra blankets or camping chairs as well.

After the picnic we encourage you to come on over to listen to the Sunday Afternoon Tunes at the Winery.

Second Sunday dates for the 2013 season are: 
May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11 and September 8.

Doing our Part for Mother Earth

I love this plaque (available at the winery) to honor Earth Day.  

FIRESIDE - RECYCLES
Wine is one of many reasons we all need to do our part to protect Mother Earth.  Here at Fireside, we do our part by recycling.  Not only do we recycle cardboard, aluminum and plastic containers, we also collect all glass materials including our bottles and send them to a local redemption center where it is crushed down to be made into new glass products.  

I found this interesting article from the National Geographic about glass container recycling .  The article  stated, "Unlike many other recyclables, glass can be recycled an unlimited number of times." http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/glass-container-recycling-2826.html

Recycled Glass Container at Fireside Winery

FIRESIDE - REDUCES
Another green initiative Fireside Winery practices is using steam to clean our wine storage tanks and equipment.  Last year we invested in a new steam cleaning system.  Steam created by this system sterilizes the equipment without the use of harsh and environmentally harmful chemicals so we are able to reduce the amount of toxins that could potentially impact our air and water quality.  

FIRESIDE - REUSES
One of the main themes you'll find on our Pinterest page is to reuse many of wines bi-products (i.e. barrels, corks and bottles) to create beautiful things for your home or garden.  We invite you to check out our many pins but here are just a few of our favorites.