Dan Murphy’s is expanding its Wine Merchants program, and is looking for 20 wine lovers to join its stores across the country including in Sunshine Coast, Launceston and Caringbah.
“Our wine merchants help guide customers find the perfect bottle of wine for any occasion, and they also host exclusive masterclasses with amazing winemakers and partake in wine judging panels,” said Bruce McConnell, Senior Store Support Manager at Dan Murphy’s.
“Australians are more knowledgeable than ever about wine, so our team members have to live up to their expectations,” he added.
The Wine Merchant role also includes receiving on-going education about wine, sampling wines and training the rest of the store team.
“Our wine merchants have a really wide variety of backgrounds – some have been winemakers, sommeliers, bartenders, musicians and chefs. What they all share is a deep and abiding passion for wine, just like the original Dan Murphy,” McConnell said.
Richard Doumani (above) had a background working in cellar doors and as a cellar hand in wineries, before becoming a Wine Merchant at the drinks retailer’s Alphington store in 2018. He believes asking the right questions and being a good listener are important in the role.
“I really enjoy being able to provide something for a person – whether it is helping them find a gift, reassurance, insight or just a good chinwag. I don’t consider myself a salesperson – just someone up for a chat,” he said.
“I also try to find a way to communicate about wines which is relevant to individual customers – maybe they like the music analogy of Radiohead vs Muse or the body shape of Arnold Schwarzenegger compared to Brodie Grundy in the AFL.”
Wine merchant is a role that the drinks retailer created in 2018 and currently there are 39 wine merchants in stores across the story. However, the wine merchant idea goes back to Dan Murphy, the founder of the namesake drinks retailer.
“Dan Murphy was the original wine merchant,” McConnell explained.
“When he opened the first store in Melbourne’s Prahran in 1952, Australians were mainly drinking rum, beer and fortified wine. There was nothing he loved more than sharing his knowledge of wine and challenging Australians to expand their palates.”
Apply for the roles here, applications close June 29.
