Cavist is an assistant in the selection of elite wines. He can tell the story of the origin of the drink, describe in detail the taste, choose an option taking into account the individual characteristics of the client. Cavists are constantly upgrading their qualifications.
Cavist is a new profession. These are people who are sellers and consultants of elite alcohol. They work in a narrow specialization. Some people call these people "wine gourmets" who do not drink, but only taste the drinks. It is believed that a true professional should taste at least 250 wine samples per year.
How does cavist work?
When choosing, the buyer looks not only at the brand of the drink, but also at the harvest year, aging period, manufacturer. The cavist helps to choose the wine in all respects, so he understands his product as well as the sommelier.
Such a professional often has a stable circle of clients. It so happens that he changes his place of work for another boutique, and all clients move with him. Therefore, the success of many high-end stores is largely determined by the professionalism of the cavist.
What should be a cavist?
Like a consultant, he must have:
- good communication skills;
- stress resistance;
- a certain psychological preparation.
Such a specialist has sufficient knowledge in the field of commodity science and trade, is well aware of the information on the legal support of the sale, since the sale of alcoholic beverages in our country is closely monitored.
Cavist is a good menchandiser, since he correctly places alcohol in the sales area, forms product lines and assortment matrices. He must have a developed sense of taste and smell.
The main task of such a manager will always be sales. The profession assumes that he will be able to "reach out" to any customer, offer him the appropriate drink. A cavist must be able to predict the desires of his customers, remember the history of treatment with each customer. Both men and women can be successful in this matter.
Cavists in Russia
Today in our country the market for such specialists is just being formed, but the names of the professionals are already known. There is an active struggle for the best personnel between boutiques.
The demand for specialists exceeds the supply, various paid courses appear, allowing not only to acquire a new profession, but also to immediately get a high-paying job. Almost all domestic sommelier schools provide specialized training to train employees of elite wine shops.
Cavists say that a lot of knowledge comes in the process of work and at master classes from suppliers. Each new brand of wine is accompanied by a brand story, wine story and tasting. Seminars and competitions are actively held. For successful career advancement, cavists must also engage in self-education.
Career and earnings
Wine boutique owners say that it is very difficult to find a real professional. Moreover, this area assumes:
- continuous professional development;
- development of communication skills;
- expanding your own horizons.
With the right approach, it is possible to grow from a small store employee to a world-class specialist.
The salary of novice specialists is small - it is in the range of 30 thousand rubles. As experience is gained, it reaches 50 thousand rubles. and higher. In many organizations, it directly depends on the level of sales. Therefore, various bonuses and bonuses for fulfilling the plan are added to the indicated figures. The most famous professionals have a salary of 100 thousand rubles.
Difficulties in the work of a cavist
The specialist's place of work is a wine cellar. A professional must constantly follow the rules regarding maintaining the desired temperature and humidity. So that wine drinks do not lose their properties, special lighting is also selected.
A cavist must follow the principles of forming an assortment portfolio. If what the client wants is not available, there is always a risk of losing it. Sometimes it is the responsibility of a specialist to find and order rare drinks. This allows you to attract customers from other cities.
The difficulty lies in the fact that not everyone can pass the "test with wine". The drink picker always has alcohol in the access area. Winemakers send free samples, and tastings are often held. Many people do not understand that in order to obtain information about the drink, you can not swallow it, just inhale the aroma, sip the minimum amount of the drink.