The short answer
- Many good-paying wine jobs are filled by people with little or no wine experience.
- Tasting rooms hire for service: customer service, retail and restaurant experience is a big advantage.
- Vineyard, winery, supplier and distributor roles in operations, finance, HR, logistics and marketing rarely require wine experience.
- Sales and marketing jobs go to people with strong track records from other industries; servers and bartenders make good entry-level sales candidates.
- A WSET class builds foundational knowledge and signals to employers that you’re committed to learning wine.
Cracking the Code: How to Enter the Wine Industry from Scratch
By Karen Wetzel, WSET L3, NVWE, AWE
Is your lack of wine industry experience holding you back from pursuing your dream job of a career in wine? You might be surprised to find that people fill many good-paying wine jobs with little or no wine experience.
A few years ago, I met an elementary school teacher who just moved from Ohio to Napa. She knew nothing about wine or the region but needed to work while looking for a teaching position. So, she answered an ad and was hired on the spot as a tasting room attendant at—wait for it—Silver Oak. Now, six years later, she’s still going strong. Her’s is the story that inspired me to tackle this topic.
The good news is that every state in the US makes, distributes, and sells wine. That means there are plenty of job opportunities across the country, many requiring little or no wine experience.
In my research, I found almost endless wine-related jobs around the country that never mentioned wine experience or wine knowledge in their requirements. Click here to see specifics: winejobs.com, linkedin.com
To get you thinking about the possibilities, here are just a few of the many opportunities waiting:
Wineries need to fill tasting room and hospitality positions and look for an engaging person who provides excellent service. If you have experience with customer service, retail sales, restaurants, or other consumer-facing jobs—that gives you a big advantage.
Wineries also need employees to work in the vineyard and winery, maintain the facility, and handle logistics. Often, no wine experience is required.
Suppliers and distributors need qualified candidates to fill positions for operations, finance, accounting, administration, HR, logistics, maintenance, PR, and Social Media Engagement. These positions may require experience specific to the job title, but wine experience is rarely a must.
Sales and Marketing jobs can be won without wine experience or knowledge. A strong work ethic, desire to learn, solid sales or marketing background, and successful track record are usually more important. In fact, I know many sales reps and marketing managers who previously worked with salty snacks, sodas, automobiles, luxury goods, and pharmaceuticals. Restaurant servers and bartenders are considered great candidates for entry-level sales positions.
The point is that there are various wine jobs to be had by those with the right skills, even if those skills don’t include wine. Next time you find a fantastic job listing, check out the requirements. You might be surprised how many items on that list don’t contain the word wine. Then, go for it!
Gaining confidence in the wine industry can be a significant hurdle for those without experience. Taking a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) class can be an excellent step towards overcoming this. These classes provide foundational knowledge about wine, from understanding different grape varieties and wine styles to learning about wine regions and winemaking processes. By gaining this knowledge, you’ll feel more confident applying for various industry roles. It also signals to potential employers your dedication to learning and understanding wine, making you a more attractive candidate, even if you’re just starting out in this field. This added knowledge can empower you to pursue your dream job in the wine industry with greater confidence and expertise.
Wine careers
Ready to look at real openings? Our wine careers page has hundreds of live listings from wineries, importers and distributors, plus an honest map of which WSET level gets you into which interview.
Stay tuned for the next issue to help you get the job you want when we compare “Experience vs. Credentials.”
(The views expressed by the author are hers alone and may not reflect the views of the Napa Valley Wine Academy.)
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Frequently asked questions
Can you get a wine job with no experience?
Yes. Every US state makes, distributes and sells wine, and many good-paying wine jobs are filled by people with little or no wine experience. Check the requirements on listings that interest you: many never mention wine.
Which wine jobs don’t require wine experience?
Tasting room and hospitality positions; vineyard, winery, facility and logistics work; operations, finance, accounting, administration, HR, PR and social media roles at suppliers and distributors; and many sales and marketing jobs.
What experience helps you get into the wine industry?
Customer service, retail sales, restaurant and other consumer-facing work gives you a big advantage in tasting rooms. For sales and marketing, a strong work ethic, a solid sales or marketing background and a successful track record usually matter more than wine knowledge. Restaurant servers and bartenders are considered great candidates for entry-level sales positions.
How does a WSET class help you get a wine job?
A Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) class gives you foundational knowledge of grape varieties, wine styles, regions and winemaking, so you apply with more confidence. It also signals to employers that you’re dedicated to learning about wine, which makes you a more attractive candidate.
