Wine Educator/Event Captain

Description

Perched atop the rolling hills of the Carneros AVA, where the San Francisco Bay meets the edges of Napa and Sonoma counties, Ram’s Gate Winery stands as a testament to craftsmanship rooted in respect for the land and a steadfast commitment to sustainability. Founded in 2011 by Proprietor Jeff O’Neill, Ram's Gate produces fresh, expressive wines that capture the essence and diversity of Sonoma County’s most renowned vineyards. The 28-acre Ram’s Gate Estate Vineyard is Regenerative Organic Certified®, one of the highest distinctions in sustainable agriculture today, reflecting a holistic approach that nurtures soil health, biodiversity, and ecological balance. This seamless harmony between land and craft extends to the winery’s tasting room, where guests are invited to experience thoughtful winemaking, genuine hospitality, and elevated culinary pairings.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

As a Wine Educator, you are the heart of our hospitality, dedicated to curating personalized, luxury wine experiences that leave a lasting impression. Your role is more than just pouring wine; it's about crafting memorable moments, sharing compelling stories, and ensuring every guest feels valued, welcomed, and at home. With a passion for hospitality, an appreciation for fine wines, and a commitment to seamless service, you create tailored, immersive tasting experiences that reflect our certified organic vineyard's excellence.

This is a single, full-time, non-exempt role that toggles between two modes based on business needs. As a Wine Educator, you lead the daily tasting room experience. As an Event Captain, you serve as a peer-level, staff-facing leader on the floor during events, in partnership with the Associate Manager, Hospitality and Events and the estate's outside events contractor. The ideal candidate moves fluidly between these two modes: warm, engaging, and detail-oriented on the tasting room floor, and a calm, steady presence among the team when the estate moves into event mode. They build genuine connections, remember guest preferences, and maintain an ego-less approach to hospitality, always prioritizing the guest's experience with grace and professionalism.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following reflects management’s definition of essential functions for this job, but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

As Wine Educator (Day-to-Day Hospitality):

• Welcomes every guest with warmth, ensuring a customized and exceptional experience whether they are first-time visitors or longtime members.
• Shares the history, craftsmanship, and unique qualities of our wines in a way that captivates and educates guests.
• Works closely with the hospitality, culinary, and concierge teams to elevate the guest journey and maintain smooth operations.
• Builds genuine connections, remembers guest preferences, and curates experiences that feel exclusive and personal.
• Enhances winery and membership events by engaging guests and assisting with setup, décor, and execution.
• Serves as an ambassador, representing the winery both on-site and at off-site events, ensuring the brand's integrity and high standards.
• Stays informed on wine trends, compliance regulations, and interstate shipping laws to assist guests with purchases and logistics.
• Takes pride in maintaining an elegant, welcoming space, ensuring all hospitality areas are pristine and well-appointed.
• Cultivates meaningful relationships that naturally lead to wine sales, club memberships, and repeat visits.
• Embodies our company values, contributing to a supportive, passionate, and high-performance team environment.

As Event Captain (Event-Day/Evening Leadership):

• Serves as a peer-level, staff-facing leader during events, setting the pace and modeling service standards for other employees and event staff. 
• Acts as the day-of point of contact between the external event contractor and the Ram's Gate hospitality team, communicating logistics, timing, and last-minute changes to staff.
• Coordinates event-day staffing and breaks with the Associate Manager, Hospitality and Events, balancing tasting room coverage with event needs.
• Leads a pre-event briefing with hospitality staff working the event to align on guest expectations, VIP or Member attendees, and service standards.
• Troubleshoots in-the-moment guest service issues during events and escalates to the Associate Manager, Hospitality and Events as needed.
• Models and reinforces Ram's Gate hospitality standards for other Wine Educators and Guest Relations Associates working events.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

To fulfill this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

• 2+ years of experience in luxury customer service, sales, or hospitality.
• A natural ability to connect with people and build rapport.
• Passion for wine, food, and agriculture, with a desire to continuously expand knowledge.
• Keen attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to creating exceptional guest experiences.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with comfort coordinating with outside vendors and contractors during events.
• Comfortable using technology (experience with Tock or WineDirect is a plus).
• Ability to multitask, stay composed under pressure, and make thoughtful decisions in a fast-paced setting, including demonstrated leadership on the floor during high-volume or high-pressure event moments.
• Availability to work nights, weekends, and holidays as needed by the business.
• Certification in California Food Handler Training, California RBS (Responsible Beverage Service) Training, and California Alcohol Server Training, each required within 30 days of employment.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.

CULTURAL BEHAVIORS:

O’Neill team members are Forward Thinkers. Hard Working without Drama. Friendly Problem Solvers who work as One Team to Always Deliver.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to do the following: 

• Sit, stand, walk, or bend for prolonged periods.
• Perform some repetitive motion activities.
• Coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Regularly lift, move, carry, and stack boxes up to 50 lbs.  
• Maintain focus and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Grasp, stoop, squat, bend, climb stairs/ladders, push, pull, carry, and reach over the shoulder.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This is an on-site-based position at Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma, CA.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in extreme weather, including heat, cold, and rain. 
• Noise level is generally low to medium but may increase during events.

California Pay Transparency Notice: This position is classified as non-exempt. The base compensation range for this role when working as a Wine Educator is $20 - $24/hour. The Event Captain compensation range is $32-$34/hour. The business determines which capacity is needed for a given shift/timeframe, and the HR Team maintains the current rate schedule for each role. Candidates are generally not hired at or near the maximum of the base compensation range. Final salary placement will depend on several factors, which may include the candidate’s qualifications, education, relevant experience, and alignment with current market data. In addition to the salary, this position may be eligible for bonuses, incentive plans, or participation in tasting room tip pools, as applicable.

O’Neill Vintners & Distillers offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package to our full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage; short- and long-term disability; a 401(k) with a company match; Paid Time Off; holidays; and more.

O’Neill Vintners & Distillers is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions, including hiring, promotion, discipline, and discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

All employees must pass a comprehensive background check and drug screen and adhere to all Company, Federal, and State Food Safety Regulations and Policies. This organization participates in E-Verify.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES

Please note that we do not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Services Agreement, we will not consider or agree to any payment of referral compensation or a recruiter fee. In the event that a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, we explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency.