Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
References
Affiliations
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic
Ian King

Ian King

Woodinville,WA

Summary

Dynamic hospitality leader with extensive wine education expertise. Proven track record in staff training and workflow optimization, enhancing guest experiences through strategic initiatives. Adept at fostering team collaboration and delivering exceptional service, while maintaining integrity and a deep understanding of wine. Committed to elevating the industry standard.

Overview

8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Director of Hospitality & Wine Education

AVALLÉ
Woodinville, Washington
10.2024 - Current
  • Promoted from Tasting Room Associate to Wine Educator
  • Promoted from Wine Educator to Director of Hospitality & Wine Education
  • Create workflow and service improvements for front-of-house staff
  • Conduct wine tastings and educational seminars for all company personas
  • Provide personalized wine recommendations to guests
  • Develop an engaging and first-class environment in all of the Avallé tasting rooms, including direction on the customer service experience
  • Organize and host wine events and workshops
  • Develop and supervise training programs for staff on wine knowledge and service
  • Create and host 'Somm Class' every week as part of supplemental continuous staff training
  • Maintain relationships with others in the Industry and distributors
  • Opened a new tasting room for Avallé and developed events to bring in more traffic
  • Introduced a new scheduling platform for enhanced staff management efficiencies
  • Developed an online learning course for onboarding new employees and content for in-depth wine education
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards
  • Led hospitality operations to ensure exceptional guest experiences at AVALLÉ.
  • Managed staff scheduling to optimize service efficiency and coverage.
  • Developed training programs for employees to enhance service skills and knowledge.
  • Managed wine club
  • Led regular team meetings to enhance communication and collaboration.
  • Facilitated staff performance reviews, providing constructive feedback and support.
  • Provided leadership, guidance and support to team members in order to achieve organizational objectives.
  • Managed the recruitment process of new personnel in order to meet staffing needs.

Sommelier

Surrell
Seattle, Washington
05.2024 - 03.2025
  • Helped alongside our Wine Director to curate an extensive wine list to enhance the dining experience.
  • Conducted tastings to educate staff on wine selections.
  • Assisted guests in selecting wines to pair with meals.
  • Maintained knowledge of current wine trends and regions.
  • Collaborated with chefs to create harmonious food and wine pairings.
  • Recommended bottles from the cellar based on customer preference and budget constraints.
  • Organized regular tastings and educational seminars in order to promote new products to customers.
  • Shared wine knowledge with employees, encouraging team to develop wine knowledge through regular training sessions.
  • Memorized menu choices and major ingredients in food, predominant flavors and textures to answer guest questions and recommend wine choices.
  • Developed extensive knowledge of wines, including flavors, aromas, regions, and winemaking techniques.

Cellarmaster

Amos Rome Vineyards
Manson, WA
04.2022 - 05.2024
  • Delegated tasks and provided proper training to all Interns and volunteers
  • Utilized Innovit to collect data and analyze to make decisions regarding the wine
  • Sole responsibility of producing a Barrel Fermented Gruner Veltliner, Sur-Lie batonnage
  • Collected grape samples to test for appropriate PH and Brix levels for harvest
  • Managed the Inoculation and fermentation of all wines In a variety of vessels; Including sandstone jars, barrels, and tanks.
  • Maintained a clean workspace using specialized chemicals and strong organizational skills
  • Oversaw production of the wine, from grape to bottle, managing So2 levels and topping barrels
  • Operated, controlled and managed the execution of all necessary equipment for Harvest
  • Managed barrel aging and storage for optimal flavor development.
  • Conducted regular inventory checks of wine and equipment.
  • Collaborated with winemakers to select blending options and techniques.

Sales & Retail Sommelier

Meritage Wine Shop
Santa Barbara, CA
11.2021 - 03.2022
  • Customer service and sales of wines from Santa Barbara and worldwide
  • Utilized extensive wine knowledge to help guide customers to their purchases
  • Ability to curate wines for customers within any budget
  • Conducted tastings with distribution representatives to determine inventory selections
  • Searched for high-end wines to add to the shop's inventory
  • Managed merchandise inventory

Tasting Room Manager & Harvest Intern

Carhartt Family Wines
Santa Ynez, California
02.2018 - 08.2019
  • Trained and managed the schedules of the staff
  • Provided excellent customer service and education to customers
  • Set and hosted tasting room meetings for further education and staff training
  • Handled admin for the tasting room including: Hiring, training, inventory
  • Setting monthly wine club and sales goals for myself and staff
  • Maintaining cleanliness and organization of tasting room
  • Created a wine cellar and additional storage with the owners for a new tasting room
  • Helped launch a new tasting room location
  • Managed daily operations of the tasting room and staff scheduling.
  • Trained staff on wine knowledge and customer service techniques.

Education

Viticulture Certification - Viticulture

Washington State University
Prosser, WA
09-2021

Bacherlor's - Media and Communications

Antioch University
Santa Barbara
05-2014

Skills

  • Integrity
  • Staff training programs
  • Wine education
  • Blind tasting, wine assessment
  • Advanced knowledge in the world of wine
  • Workflow optimization
  • Team building
  • Strategic thinking
  • Guest relations management
  • Strong empathy
  • Hospitality best practices

Certification

  • CSW
  • WSET III
  • Forklift Certification, OSHA, 05/21
  • Level 3 Advanced Award In Wine, Wine & Spirits Education Trust, 05/21
  • Certified Specialist of Wine, Society of Wine Educators, 05/21
  • Food Handler's Permit, Mast 12

References

  • Axel Kleemeier, Cellarmaster, Storm Wines, 480-440-2553
  • Stephen Searle, Head Winemaker, Jaffurs, 805-636-5879, stephen@jaffurswine.com
  • Noah Chow, Wine Buyer, Meritage Wine Market, 805-845-0777, noah@meritagewinemarket.com

Affiliations

  • Golf
  • Guitar and Singing
  • College and NFL Football fanatic

Accomplishments

  • Promoted from Tasting Room Associate to Tasting Room Manager at Carhartt Vineyards, where I developed and directed new construction for wine storage and workflow
  • Promoted from Server to Sommelier at Surrell
  • Promoted from Tasting Room Associate to Wine Educator, later promoted from Wine Educator to Director of Hospitality & Wine Education at Avallé
  • Avallé received the first 100 point dry white wine in Washington State history for our Tenor Chardonnay

Timeline

Director of Hospitality & Wine Education

AVALLÉ
10.2024 - Current

Sommelier

Surrell
05.2024 - 03.2025

Cellarmaster

Amos Rome Vineyards
04.2022 - 05.2024

Sales & Retail Sommelier

Meritage Wine Shop
11.2021 - 03.2022

Tasting Room Manager & Harvest Intern

Carhartt Family Wines
02.2018 - 08.2019

Viticulture Certification - Viticulture

Washington State University

Bacherlor's - Media and Communications

Antioch University

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