Anyone know anyone here earning decent money in the wine industry?

Most foreigners here seem to end up as English teachers, in IT, sales, recruitment, there are quite a few different jobs but I rarely here of something more interesting.

I have a strong interest in wine and recently I’ve been considering getting qualified and earning some sort of certification. There are some options for some recognized qualifications but of course they require a lot of study time as well as money.

I appreciate a good job in wine is very specific and whilst I imagine they exist they can’t be a position of high demand to say the least.

Some months ago I found a job in Tokyo for a English speaking (Japanese was required) wine importer and expert. The job isn’t’ there anymore but I suppose things like that seem more realistic, where they need someone to communicate with overseas business whilst also having knowledge in the product.

I work for a medical company right now and are not looking to change jobs but it would be great if by some miracle someone here knows someone who ended up in a job like I described and could offer some general advice.

Have a great weekend to everyone apart from the guy in the unpopular opinions sub-reddit who said Frasier was a shit sitcom.

Thank you!

8 comments
  1. I personally don’t, but I know a guy who works in sake (as in,, nihonshuu) production, and he makes like 700万 a year

  2. Are you a wine expert or do you have any differentiation (like being a French speaker or being connected with wine makers)?

    Japan wine enthusiasts are hard to bs, everyone and their mother seem to have WSET3 and JSA certifications, so the bar is high I think.

    I know people who make pretty good living off wine but they have really good clout.

    If you’re just a wine amateur I would suggest trying something more niche and growing, like craft beer or gin or something.

  3. Speaking as someone with professional experience in that industry before moving here, I agree that it will probably be tough, and likely depend on you talking your way into a role through some existing personal network connection (which is the same everywhere).

    Even if you’re extremely fluent in Japanese, I imagine the greater demand would be catering to tourists, where your English proficiency probably gives you an edge, and more likely than not representing local product(s) and/or producer(s), rather than foreign imports.

    I wouldn’t mind dipping my toe back into that field myself, actually.

  4. I know of two guys who import wine and sell it in Japan.

    One guy is French and works wholesale to restaurants and stores across Japan. He has about 5 commissioned Japanese salesmen that are assigned territories across Japan. He says the big wine companies already have a sales office in Japan or are partnered with a Japanese wholesale company, but he found a niche that is working well for him. He lives in my apartment building near downtown Tokyo with his wife and kids, so he must be making enough.

    The other guys is French and is constantly sending me emails and LinkedIn messages with his weekly wine offering. I’m not sure how he got my contact information, but he has been at it for over 4 years now. So, something must we working for him.

  5. As with anything, it just depends on how good you are.
    -> Are you a sommelier with quite some experience who speaks Japanese very well but also English? (You can probably get some experience for free)
    -> Are you experienced in farming grapes overseas?
    -> Are you great at mixing wine?
    -> Are you a fermentation expert?
    -> Do you know about marketing a bar or promoting a place?
    -> Are you a fantastic wine writer?
    -> Are you great at logistics, negotiating, buying, import/export protocols, warehouse requirements, …?

    In each of the above you will need to do some work for free.
    1) Volunteer as a sommelier. If they do not need to pay you can probably get the opportunity to help some restaurants select wines that are good and at a decent price?
    2) Try volunteering at a winery. During the busy season they may need some people to help, befriend them get their knowledge. Then either join or find investors to start your own.
    3) Get the certifications, buy wine and mix and sell. Start small and see if you can grow it.
    4) Get certified in fermentation and get a job as a fermentation expert. First for low pay.
    5) Find your favorite wine bar(s) and help them reach a wider audience by volunteering to do their online marketing, send newsletters, do promotions and so on.
    6) Visit wine bars and start a blog or newsletter, online media and get a following for your great expertise at visiting wine bars and describing their atmosphere and great wines.
    7) Get any job at a beverage import company like you mentioned before and then work your way up.

  6. See how many Japanese have their sommelier certificate? And would probably also work for next to nothing to work in the industry? That answers your question.

    Not that there is no money in it, but there are plenty of established trade channels as well as importers looking for that popular wine and can also pay to import vast quantities of it.

    If you have a unique connection it could be valuable, otherwise look at starting near the bottom – building connections – and working your way up.

  7. To even take the JSA sommelier exam you need 2-3 years experience working in some facet of F&B/alcohol industry. To answer your question though the Japanese market for wine is huge and plenty of people make a decent living working in it. Most people I know do it not for the money, and while it sounds cliche you really need a passion for wine or you won’t be able to get involved.

    Besides somm there are plenty of other wine qualifications out there, so definitely start with something like WSET. It’s widely recognized outside of Japan, you can do it in English–even online I think–and the various exams can offer a challenge regardless of your current knowledge level (disclaimer: I have WSET Level 2 in Spirits). ANSA also has fairly entry-level stuff like Wine Navigator. In terms of education, get ready for some snobbery though when it comes to any category of alcohol (god knows we have enough of that in whisky).

    From there I’d say attend as many wine events as possible, and network network network. And I don’t mean some wine party at a friend’s house, unless the friend already has connections in the industry. I mean industry events… ProWine for example is coming to Tokyo in 2024.

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