Jamie Forrest – Cellar Door Manager, Sandalford Wines
In this interview, Jamie Forrest from Sandalford Wines shares some insight into the work of a cellar door manager.
What do you do?
I manage the Cellar Door at Sandalford Wines in the Swan Valley.
How did you get into the industry?
A love of wine and learning about wine regions.
Share a story from behind the scenes.
It’s not all sipping wine in a pretty location, there’s lots of unloading of palletes of wine in the background.
What food memory from your childhood or travels stands out?
Flammkuchen in Alsace region of France.
What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best bit is sharing wine and travel stories.
The toughest part is staff calling in sick.
What’s one of your favourite food and beverage pairings?
Riesling and oysters, Chardonnay and seared scallops.
What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?
A guy drinking from a spittoon in a previous Cellar Door I was working in.
The perfect day off would be …
Sleeping in, no housework, long lunch with friends, great food and wine.
A day in the life of Jamie Forrest is …
Very busy from opening till closing.
What do you do for fun?
Wine holidays.
What would you like guests to know about Sandalford Wines?
It’s a 185-year-old wine producer in the second-oldest wine-growing region in Australia.
How have you grown in your profession? What have you learned from your start in the industry until now? Are there any misconceptions?
Patience, listening, taking criticism, offering advice and having fun along the way are essential to enjoying your work. Some people may think it’s an easy job, but they don’t really know until they are doing it.
What would you like people to know about being a Cellar Door Manager as a profession?
It is challenging, rewarding, fun, and very busy.
What’s your view on the wine scene in Perth?
It’s small but full of passionate people.
What are the top three things you like to do in Perth?
Going to the beach, walking in Kings Park and hanging out with friends at a bar.
What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement to work towards social responsibility and sustainability in the future?
Responsible service of alcohol, having fun and enjoying wine but not to the detriment of other people or places. Encouraging people to be responsible for their own actions.
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