Sometimes you just need a good glass of wine, but how do you know what label goes well with the bar food of your choice? Helping to heighten the wine-tasting experience for its guests, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has introduced a Wine Ambassador program at its worldwide hotels.
The JW Wine Ambassadors represent the highest level of wine expertise at the individual hotel. The program will combine live tastings, written materials, online educational resources and the sharing of tasting notes. Marriott International is training JW Marriott associates on how to appropriately prepare a wine tasting, and before being designated a JW Marriott Wine Ambassador, volunteers must complete two certification programs: a comprehensive approach to beverage education, including spirits and beer, and a custom online curriculum created by The Academy of Wine. To ensure that each ambassador’s wine expertise remains current and relevant, all ambassadors participate in monthly tastings across the globe, tasting wines of different brands but of the same varietal. Monthly tasting notes are then shared with their peers in 19 countries on a wine ambassador website .
Says Mitzi Gaskins, Marriott’s senior director for brand management,
“Our Wine Ambassadors are passionate about wine. They love their jobs. They are eager to share their knowledge by telling stories that help personalize our guests’ wine-tasting experience and deepen their understanding of the wine being savored. Ultimately, our goal is to be thought of as a wine destination where our guests can appreciate wines at all price levels through our ambassadors’ obsession with quality and attention to the little details, whether they’re in the lobby lounge, dining in one of our restaurants or at a catered event.”