Career in Wine and Spirits and Beverages Management
Published: 03/23/2010 by Erik R Johnson
Today there are many culinary schools in the United States that are offering specialized programs in wine and beverages management. The key feature that makes this program unique and different from others is it is designed and supported by leading wine and beverage experts from some of the industry's finest restaurants and hotels. The program educates you about all the key skills that you generally required to pursue a rewarding career in wine and beverage management. And, best of all, this program is it provides a platform where you can expand your knowledge of:
Viticulture and Viniculture
Tasting techniques
Management of beverages for special menus
Graduating from this program can open all kinds of doors for you. In fact, once you complete your program you can begin a rewarding career as resident wine expert in different work settings like clubs, catering companies, restaurants, beverage agencies, cruise lines, and resorts or may even work in the beverage and wine supply industry. Apart from this, there are many other options where you can make your career as-
Wine / Beverage Sommelier: Working as a wine or beverage sommelier, your responsibilities may revolve around serving in a restaurant, including storage, and wine cellar rotation. He may even require to work along with the executive chef to find wines that complement a specific menu. However, if you are working in any restaurant then at times you may require preparing the wine lists or even provide training to other staff about the wines and wine service. If we talk in terms of salary then as a beginner, you could easily earn a decent salary as $28,000, but as you gain experience and certification, you may make between $80,000 and $160,000. Though to be a Master Sommelier, you need to pass a series of exams from the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Restaurant or Hotel Beverage Manager: This is another specialized field that combines the creativity of the kitchen along with the business of running wine and beverage operations. Now, working as a restaurant or hotel beverage manager, your skills may go beyond managing day to day beverage operations. A good wine & beverage manager is a good leader and manager of diverse staff, and so your day to day work responsibilities may include:
Recruiting and providing training to staff
Monitoring the staff performance and further provide the feedback
Monitoring revenues and expenses
Negotiating supplier arrangements for wine and beverage products
Casino Wine and Beverage Manager: No other job prospects have gained as popularity in the past ten years as the casino line jobs. In fact, the demand for casino wine and beverage manager in the last four years has doubled. Performing the role of casino wine and beverage manager, your responsibilities may revolve around managing different activities of the beverage function. Besides this, at times you may even require to identify or evaluate strategies in order to increase your revenue and guest satisfaction with the department's services. In addition to this, you may also require monitoring the equipment and inventory levels and take appropriate action if required.
Cruise Line Beverage Manager or Director: Playing the role of a cruise line beverage manager, your responsibilities may generally include:
Directing, supervising and evaluating the performance of all direct reports.
Watching the overall operation of all wine and beverage outlets and the galley area.
Managing the general wine, spirit and beverage budget by reviewing financial transactions and monitoring the budget to ensure an efficient operation.
Administer the wine and beverage inventory and further ensure that the appropriate inventory controls are in proper place while managing carrying costs effectively.
Adding to this, working as a cruise line beverage manager you would be answerable for all of the Beverage Department's financial matters. Apart from all these profiles and positions, today you may even enjoy your career as a Wine, Beer and Spirits Distributor/Sales/Owner. However, it doesn't matter what role you play, you could be the very important professional working in one of the emerging industry.
Over the last few years, the wines and spirits sector firms are looking for experts who cannot just work with the marketing tools, but can also understand the different facets of sales and its techniques. To understand and master the sales technique, it is very important to have a good education. Attending an accredited culinary school is unavoidable if you are really looking to learn the tricks of this industry. Proper training can surely help in sharpening the skills required if you are deciding a make a career in this industry.
