Wine merchant
Wine merchants buy and sell wines from around the world. They also advise customers on different types of wine.
Typical Salary
£20,000 – £35,000
per year
Working Hours
37–42
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
As a wine merchant, you could:
- search out new vineyards and wines and select products for sale
- negotiate prices with producers and wholesalers for bulk orders
- sell products to hotels, restaurants, bars and retailers
- maintain shop stock, serve customers and give advice on wines
- attend trade shows and organise promotions, including wine tastings
- train and mentor new staff
Skills needed
- customer service skills
- persuading and negotiating skills
- the ability to sell products and services
- maths knowledge
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be flexible and open to change
- business management skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Entry requirements
To work as a manager, buyer or importer, you’ll usually need a UK driving licence.
You must be at least 18 years old to work in retail wine sales.
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- a graduate training scheme
- a professional course from a private training provider
Career progression
With experience you could become:
- a distributor, buying from producers and selling to retail outlets
- an independent wine merchant with your own shop
- an events organiser for trade fairs, tastings and competitions
- a wine producer, either in the UK or overseas
- a wine consultant, advising on production, marketing and selling
You could also study for exams with The Institute of Masters of Wine to become a Master of Wine. This demonstrates your expertise in the wine industry.