Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wine Merchant

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires a commercial, customer-focused Wine Merchant to lead wine buying, assortment planning, supplier negotiation, inventory and cellar management, and customer-facing sales initiatives. The Wine Merchant will own the wine category strategy across retail and wholesale channels, curate portfolios for in-store and online channels, develop tasting and event programs, ensure regulatory compliance, and partner with marketing and operations to maximize margin, turnover and customer satisfaction. This role requires deep tasting skills, commercial judgment, and the ability to translate supplier conversations into profitable assortments and memorable customer experiences.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Retail Wine Sales Associate / Wine Advisor with proven sales track record
Sommelier, Beverage Manager or Head Sommelier transitioning into buying
Assistant Buyer or Category Assistant in wine/spirits retail

Advancement To:

Head Buyer / Senior Wine Buyer
Wine Director for restaurant group or hospitality brand
Category Manager / Merchandising Lead (Beverage)
Director of Wine, Spirits & Beer / Commercial Director

Lateral Moves:

Wholesale Account Manager / Regional Sales Manager (wine distribution)
Import Manager / Supplier Relations Manager
E‑commerce Merchandising Manager (beverage alcohol)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own the end-to-end wine buying process: develop seasonal buying plans, set category budgets, forecast demand, and make purchasing decisions that balance turnover, margin and customer relevance.
Source and evaluate new wines and producers globally by conducting supplier visits, attending tastings and trade fairs, evaluating samples, and negotiating launch terms that include pricing, promotional support, and exclusivity when appropriate.
Curate and maintain a differentiated and commercially viable wine assortment tailored to the customer profile and sales channel (brick‑and‑mortar, online, wholesale, hospitality accounts).
Negotiate commercial terms with domestic and international suppliers, including pricing, freight, payment terms, lead times and return allowances, to optimize cost of goods sold and gross margin.
Manage inventory and cellar operations: implement par levels, oversee stock rotation, conduct regular physical stock counts, reconcile variances, and manage storage conditions to protect vintage quality and minimize shrinkage.
Analyze sales, margin, and turnover using POS and inventory data to identify underperforming SKUs, optimize facings, and execute range rationalization with data-driven recommendations.
Build and execute promotional and markdown strategies that maximize sell-through while protecting long-term brand positioning and supplier relationships.
Collaborate with the marketing team to create product copy, tasting notes, staff training materials, email campaigns and digital merchandising that drive conversion and SEO for online wine listings.
Design and lead customer-facing education programs: tasting events, private tastings, wine club offers, staff training sessions and sommelier-led pairings to drive loyalty and spend-per-visit.
Manage and grow a profitable wine club and subscription offerings by developing tiered curations, member benefits, logistics plans and retention strategies.
Develop and maintain professional tasting notes and technical sheets for each SKU, articulating grape varieties, vinification, provenance and food pairing suggestions to inform both staff and consumers.
Ensure full compliance with all federal, state and local alcohol laws and licensing requirements for purchase, storage, sales, shipping and delivery; maintain documentation and coordinate compliance audits.
Oversee logistics and import processes for international purchases: coordinate with freight forwarders, customs brokers and internal operations to ensure timely and compliant deliveries.
Partner with the e‑commerce and operations teams to improve online product discovery, category filters, shipping rules for alcohol, and fulfillment to reduce errors and returns.
Build and maintain business relationships with key suppliers, distributors and winemakers; secure allocations for sought-after releases and negotiate guaranteed supply where possible.
Lead assortment reviews and promotional calendars across peak seasonal periods (holidays, harvest, vintage releases) to ensure appropriate stock coverage and marketing alignment.
Mentor and train in-store and wholesale sales teams on varietals, regions, tasting descriptors and upsell techniques to improve conversion, average order value and customer experience.
Prepare and manage the annual category budget, vendor rebates, and P&L responsibilities for the wine department; track performance against KPIs such as GM%, turnover, sell-through and stock days.
Evaluate private label and exclusive bottling opportunities: liaise with cooperatives, wineries and co‑packers to design blends, labels and packaging that reinforce brand differentiation and margin uplift.
Conduct regular market and competitor analysis to identify gaps in the assortment, pricing opportunities, emerging regions, and category trends (natural wines, organic, low‑alcohol) for strategic positioning.
Coordinate with wholesale and on-trade accounts to build bespoke offers, staff training, on-site tastings and allocation programs that grow B2B revenue streams.
Implement and enforce quality control processes for returns, breakages and tasting standards, ensuring customer satisfaction and consistent product quality.
Lead cross-functional launch plans for new regions or ranges, setting merchandising plans, POS signage, digital banners and staff education to maximize launch impact.
Maintain up-to-date certification and continued education (WSET, CMS, Court of Master Sommeliers coursework) and encourage team participation in recognized accreditation programs.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc commercial analysis requests, customer segmentation research and seasonal assortment pilots to inform strategic decisions.
Assist the operations team in creating SOPs for alcohol receiving, cellar humidity/temperature monitoring and special shipment handling protocols.
Contribute to content development for blog posts, tasting guides, and SEO-optimized product descriptions that improve organic search and customer engagement.
Participate in cross-functional planning meetings, including merchandising, marketing, finance and legal, to align wine strategy with broader business objectives.
Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, tastings and supplier dinners to maintain visibility and discover new portfolio opportunities.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep product expertise: demonstrated ability to evaluate and describe wines by region, grape, style, vintage characteristics and winemaking techniques; strong tasting and scoring skills.
Category management & buying: experience creating buying plans, range architecture, assortment rationalization and seasonal rebuys.
Negotiation & supplier management: proven track record negotiating pricing, allocations, exclusivity, freight and payment terms with wineries, importers and distributors.
Inventory & cellar management: hands-on experience managing stock control, cellar conditions, rotation, par levels and inventory reconciliation.
Regulatory & compliance knowledge: solid understanding of local, state and federal alcohol regulations, licensing, age verification and shipping restrictions.
Sales analytics & reporting: experience using POS systems, Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs), BI tools (Tableau, Looker) or retail analytics platforms to drive assortment and promotional decisions.
E‑commerce merchandising: familiarity with online product taxonomy, SEO for product pages, and alcohol-specific e‑commerce workflows (age gates, shipping rules).
Event programming & wine club management: experience designing tasting events, subscription services, member offers and logistics for recurring shipments.
Import/export logistics: working knowledge of customs documentation, DS‑581/other alcohol import forms, incoterms and freight forwarding for beverage alcohol.
Pricing strategy & margin management: ability to set retail price ladders, promotional pricing and private label margin targets.
POS & retail systems: proficiency with common POS and inventory platforms (e.g., Lightspeed, Vend, Square, Shopify, ShipCompliant integrations).
Wine accreditation (preferred): WSET Level 2/3, Court of Master Sommeliers certifications, or equivalent professional tasting credentials.

Soft Skills

Commercial acumen: strong business sense with the ability to balance curation and margin-driven decisions.
Relationship building: excellent networking skills to create and maintain supplier and trade relationships.
Communication: clear, compelling copywriting for product descriptions and confident presentation skills for tastings and trainings.
Customer focus: passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences and advising customers based on needs and budgets.
Attention to detail: meticulous approach to cellar conditions, inventory accuracy and regulatory documentation.
Problem solving: proactive and pragmatic in resolving supply chain interruptions, stockouts and customer issues.
Leadership & mentoring: experience coaching sales teams, developing talent and creating a continuous learning environment.
Time management: ability to manage multiple launches, events and supplier timelines simultaneously.
Adaptability: comfortable in fast-paced retail environments and responding quickly to category trends or market disruptions.
Cultural & palate sensitivity: appreciation for diverse wine styles and the ability to represent a wide range of producers respectfully.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with practical experience in wine retail, hospitality or beverage sales.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Oenology, Viticulture or a related field.
Professional wine qualifications (WSET Level 2 or 3, CMS certifications, or advanced sommelier credentials) are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Oenology & Viticulture
Hospitality Management
Business Administration / Retail Management
Marketing / Communications
Culinary Arts / Wine Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressive experience in wine buying, retail buying, sommelier roles, or category management within wine & spirits.

Preferred:

5+ years as a wine buyer, category manager or head sommelier with demonstrated P&L responsibility, supplier negotiation experience and success scaling wine programs across retail or hospitality channels.
Proven experience managing import logistics, wine clubs/subscriptions and digital wine merchandising.
Established tasting credentials (WSET L2/L3 or equivalent) and a documented history of delivering events and trade partnerships.