Set among the rolling vineyards of the Yarra Valley, Dominique Portet Winery has been welcoming guests with French-inspired charm since 2000. Founded on ten generations of winemaking heritage, we offer more than just award-winning wines—we create memorable experiences through bespoke hospitality and an unmistakable sense of place.

We are now looking for a Venue Manager to lead our front-of-house experience and guide our team with genuine warmth, professionalism, and vision. This is a dynamic leadership role for someone who thrives on delivering exceptional guest experiences and understands the art of premium food and wine service, where details matter.

Your workplace is renowned for offering an elegant yet relaxed escape, with exciting growth potential. Featuring seasonal French cuisine from our Bistro menu and wines crafted with precision and passion, we welcome guests seven days a week at the cellar door, and Thursday to Monday in the restaurant.

About the role

As Venue Manager, you’ll:

Lead From the Floor – Be a visible, confident presence during service, inspiring your team and ensuring our high standards shine through every guest interaction - you'll be key personality of our brand experience.

Elevate Team Culture – Recruit and coach a skilled team, championing staff training in service standards, wine knowledge and refined customer experience.

Curate Experiences – Take ownership of wine club engagement and hospitality programming. This includes structured tasting flights, seasonal paired menus, hosted events, and immersive add-ons. You’ll work with our Head Chef to bring these to life with warmth, flair, and consistency.

Drive Operational Excellence – You love to sweat the small stuff without losing sight of the bigger picture - from managing staff, control costs, stock and inventory, and a seamless day-to-day operations that align with our brand ethos.

Family Business Collaboration - You thrive in our collaborative, multi-disciplinary environment, seamlessly working across cellar door, restaurant, administrative, and winery teams. We seek someone with a proactive "can-do" spirit whose personality aligns with Dominique Portet's grounded luxury culture.

Not Open Nights - We are open days only 9am - 5pm.

About You

Proven experience as a Venue Manager or in a senior hospitality leadership role, ideally in a winery or tourism destination venue

A hands-on, collaborative leadership style with exceptional communication skills

Deep appreciation for fine wine, food, and French-inspired hospitality

Sharp eye for detail, strong business acumen, and confidence managing rostering, forecasting and inventory

A calm, collected approach even on the busiest of days—and a passion for bringing joy to every guest

If you're ready to lead one of the Yarra Valley's most respected hospitality venues and shape unforgettable experiences every day, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

It would be advantageous to hold a current Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate (RSA) and have a Victorian Drivers licence, and of course working rights in Australia.