Means learning about the precision and beauty of the wines Red Tail Ridge produces. Our hospitality team provides excellent tasting experiences in an elegant space with broad views of Seneca Lake. Production internships are decided every Spring for Harvest and last 3-4 months (August-November). Hospitality internships are decided every winter for the following year and last 4-5 months (June – October).
As a Tasting Guide at Red Tail Ridge, you will arrive to work by driving through beautifully maintained vines, up a winding road past a pond and a wildflower field. The sleek and modern Tasting Room is to the right as the road curves by Black Walnut Trees dotted along the edges of the vineyard. As you walk to the front door, the open-air Pavilion is to the right, providing guests with protection from weather, while still enjoying intimacy with the vineyard. In front of you is a stunning view of Seneca Lake, vines of Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Blaufränkish appear as you get closer to the door. Entering the Tasting Room there’s a big impact from the wall & ceiling elegantly clad in reclaimed wood from the trees that were removed from the land when the vineyard was planted.
As you walk through the doors to the Tasting Room, you are greeted in a friendly, respectful manner by your Managers and Colleagues. Once settled and clocked in, you set yourself up for success by ensuring the tasting rooms is set correctly, has all the assets needed and the space is clean and organized. You will check in with your supervisor to ensure you have all the knowledge you need to be successful during the day. Then you dive right into providing top-notch hospitality to your guests. Your day is focused on providing those guests with an educational tasting experience of some of the most distinct and technically well-made wines made in the Finger Lakes. Through the experiences you provide, your ability to connect to people within a short period of time and your salesmanship shines. After all, it’s easy to sell wines with such range. It’s all about putting the right wine in front of the right person.
You are always supported by your teammates and managers, and you give as you receive throughout the day. You can always find something to do and learn at Red Tail Ridge. Whether it is making sure that the elegant Tasting Room is set up for success, food preparation is done, cleaning the space, or asking your colleagues questions about the technical aspects and history of wine.
At the end of the day, working in tandem with your team mates, you reset the Tasting Room, clean and polish glassware and other dishes, clean the space and make sure all the merchandise is restocked appropriately. You walk out knowing how much you have contributed to the success of the day and what needs to happen moving forward to keep Red Tail Ridge progressing in a positive direction. You are able to have pride in the product you are representing, the space you are working in, and the people you support and assist every single day.
A Tasting Room Guide provides guests with an outstanding and unique tasting experience. The experience we focus in on is educational, taking guests through the experience of tasting the wine while also providing the technical and contextual importance of the wines we produce. We provide as much or as little information as the guest would like. However, the goal is always to sell bottles to the guest at the end of their tasting. In order to provide this type of experience to our guests, the following are specific qualities that are essential for our Tasting Room Guides to have:
It is the goal of Red Tail Ridge to be a professional and humanistic company. We focus on solid business fundamentals, kindness and respect in interactions, and providing our colleagues and guests the best experience possible. In becoming a member of the Red Tail Ridge Team, you are becoming an essential piece to our success. We will rise based on the skills and abilities of each member. We take it seriously and expect you to do the same.