Tasting Room Manager

O'Rourke Family Vineyards is a family-owned wine and hospitality group rooted in the Okanagan, bringing together premium vineyards, thoughtful wine production, and elevated guest experiences. With two distinct destination properties, the company spans both approachable and luxury expressions of wine tourism. Peak Cellars is a welcoming winery focused on expressive wines and warm hospitality, complemented by the Garden Bistro, where seasonal cuisine and vineyard surroundings create an inviting setting for guests. O'Rourke Family Estate represents the group's flagship vision, combining ambitious architecture, estate-driven winemaking, and refined dining experiences that showcase the estate's culinary and wine programs.

Across the portfolio, O'Rourke Family Vineyards is deeply involved in every stage of the process, from vineyard stewardship and farming decisions through to winemaking, blending, and bottling. The company also produces a diverse calendar of events and experiences that bring together wine, food, and community, supported by close collaboration across hospitality, culinary, production, and events teams. For prospective team members, O'Rourke Family Vineyards offers a dynamic, growth-oriented workplace that values craftsmanship, professionalism, teamwork, and pride in creating memorable experiences within one of Canada's most exciting wine regions.

Company: O'Rourke Family EstateLocation: Lake Country, BCDepartment: Hospitality Reports to: Director of Hospitality / General Manager (as assigned)Employment Type: Full-time

Role Summary

The Tasting Room Manager is responsible for leading day-to-day tasting room operations and delivering a consistent, luxury-level guest experience aligned with O'Rourke Family Estate's brand standards. This role owns service execution, team leadership, reservations and flow, guest recovery, wine club conversion, retail performance, and compliance. The Tasting Room Manager is hands-on on the floor, highly organized off the floor, and accountable for hitting key performance metrics while building a positive, high-performance culture.

Key Responsibilities

Guest Experience & Service Standards

• Lead daily service with a "host" mentality—visible on the floor, engaging guests, and setting the pace and tone.
• Implement and maintain luxury service standards (greeting, tour/taste pacing, storytelling, check-back cadence, farewell).
• Own guest recovery: resolve issues quickly, document incidents, and follow up when appropriate to protect brand reputation.
• Ensure experiences are executed consistently across all guest touchpoints (walk-ins, reservations, club, VIP, events crossover).

Team Leadership & Training

• Recruit, onboard, schedule, coach, and performance-manage tasting room associates, supervisors, and support roles.
• Build and maintain training programs (wine knowledge, service steps, POS, club scripts, compliance).
• Run pre-shifts, post-shifts, and weekly team huddles; set daily targets and track results.
• Foster a culture of accountability, pride, and professionalism—high standards without toxicity.

Sales Performance & Wine Club Growth

• Drive retail and wine club performance through coaching, incentives, goal setting, and conversion process discipline.
• Maintain compelling guest journey scripts focused on storytelling, premiumization, and club enrollment.
• Track performance KPIs and adjust staffing, tactics, and training accordingly.

Operations, Systems & Admin

• Manage reservations, floor plans, guest flow, capacity, and staffing levels to optimize experience and revenue.
• Maintain inventory controls for retail, tasting supplies, and guest amenities; coordinate reorders and counts.
• Ensure clean, polished, and photo-ready spaces at all times (opening/closing checklists, standards audits).
• Maintain SOPs and ensure consistent execution; identify operational gaps and implement improvements.
• Coordinate with production/winemaking for wine availability, allocations, and product changes.

Compliance, Safety & Risk

• Ensure compliance with Serving It Right, BC liquor regulations, and internal responsible service standards.
• Maintain incident documentation, health and safety practices, and facility protocols (including site-specific hazards).
• Ensure cash handling, deposits, discounts, comps, and voids follow policy with strong internal controls.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing on promotions, launches, content capture protocols, and guest communications.
• Coordinate with Events/Restaurant teams on shared spaces, VIP itineraries, and peak-period operations.
• Liaise with Wine Club, Ecommerce, and Customer Service teams to ensure seamless guest follow-up.

Success Metrics (KPIs)

• Wine club conversion rate and net member growth
• Tasting-to-purchase conversion rate
• Average spend per guest / average order value (AOV)
• Retail revenue vs targets, by day/week/season
• Guest satisfaction (reviews, NPS-style feedback, complaint frequency/resolution time)
• Labor cost % and scheduling accuracy
• Staff retention, training completion, and performance progression

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years in hospitality leadership (tasting room, luxury retail, boutique hotel, or high-end restaurant)
• Proven ability to lead teams, coach sales behaviors, and deliver premium guest experiences
• Strong operational competence: scheduling, inventory, cash controls, SOP execution
• Confidence handling guest recovery, difficult conversations, and performance management
• BC Serving It Right (or ability to obtain immediately)
• Comfort using POS and reservation platforms
• Strong reporting skills

Preferred Qualifications

• WSET 2+ or equivalent wine education (or strong willingness to complete)
• Prior wine club / DTC experience with measurable conversion results
• Experience in luxury, destination hospitality environments
• Event service or VIP itinerary management experience

Skills & Attributes

• High standards, calm under pressure, and excellent floor presence
• Strong communicator—clear, direct, and professional
• Sales leadership mindset: coaching, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Detail-oriented with strong follow-through
• Flexible schedule availability, including weekends, holidays, and peak seasonal periods

Work Conditions

• Standing/walking for extended periods; lifting/carrying wine cases and supplies (up to ~50 lbs)
• Indoor/outdoor work across a destination property environment
• Peak season and event periods require schedule flexibility

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $60,000–$80,000 (commensurate with experience)
• Variable compensation: commission/bonus plan tied to results
• Vehicle allowance or mileage reimbursement + approved business expenses
• Benefits
• Discounts and hospitality perks
• Opportunity to grow within a flagship luxury destination hospitality project