Now Hiring - StarWine Cellars - Director of Sales – Wine – Wholesale (Bay Area) in San Francisco, CA

Full description of the position

We are looking for an experienced wine sales professional to lead and grow wholesale sales for a small family-owned winery. This is a rare opportunity for the right person to take a market-ready portfolio and build the wholesale channel from the ground up across the Bay Area and beyond. Our wines are already highly rated (90+ points, Double Gold awards), competitively positioned, and ready to sell. We are seeking someone who can convert relationships into placements, placements into reorders, and early traction into a scalable sales organization. This is a hands-on leadership role for a seller seeking real ownership, meaningful upside, and the opportunity to shape the overall sales strategy. What you will do

• Lead overall winery sales efforts with primary responsibility for wholesale growth
• Open and grow key on-premise and off-premise accounts, including restaurants, bars, retailers, hospitality groups, and event venues
• Develop and execute the wholesale sales strategy for the Bay Area and priority expansion markets
• Build a disciplined pipeline of target accounts, opportunities, placements, and reorders
• Leverage existing buyer, distributor, and trade relationships to accelerate market penetration
• Represent the winery in the market through account visits, ride-withs, staff trainings, tastings, wine dinners, and industry events
• Provide pricing, placement, depletion, and market feedback to help refine strategy
• Manage territory activity, track account development, and maintain sales visibility
• Recruit, onboard, and lead future sales talent as the wholesale channel expands
• Ensure all activities are conducted in compliance with company policies and applicable state regulations Who you are
• Proven wine sales professional with a track record of building business in wholesale
• Strong existing relationships with wine buyers, restaurant groups, retailers, and trade decision-makers
• Entrepreneurial and highly self-directed, with the ability to build structure where little exists today
• Comfortable operating both strategically and tactically: opening accounts, managing follow-through, and shaping long-term growth
• Skilled in prospecting, negotiation, account management, and closing
• Strong understanding of premium wine positioning, pricing, and the wholesale environment
• Excited by performance-based compensation and the opportunity to create something meaningful Preferred
• Prior success selling premium wines in the Bay Area
• Experience working across on-premise, independent retail, and distributor-driven environments
• Experience hiring, mentoring, and leading other sales professionals

Requirements

• Must be at least 21 years old
• Valid driver's license, clean driving record, insured vehicle, and ability to travel regularly in-market
• Availability for regular field work and occasional evening/weekend trade events

Compensation

This role starts as a 1099 independent contractor position with uncapped commission and performance-based bonus upside. We are looking for a sales leader who is confident in their ability to generate placements and build repeat business. The role will transition to a W2 Salaried position once monthly wholesale revenue consistently reaches $30,000. For the right person, this is an opportunity to prove the model, build the channel, and step into a longer-term sales leadership role as the business scales. Pay: $30,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year Work Location: Remote