Wine Sales Job

[NorCalGirl]

A question for all of you that are in the wine biz...My background is as a hotel sales manager and I'm looking at the possibility of a job change - probably to another hotel but I applied for a wine sales job here in the area and was called in for an interview. It is obviously of great interest to me, however, most of the jobs I've seen advertised ask for specific wine experience leaving me out. This is for a boutique winery in the foothills (whose wine I know and like) covering the metro area I am in and only asked for a strong sales background and a wine interest. I'm curious to get a realistic view of this type of job. I know its difficult to get shelf space and wine list space for smaller wineries, but how much of a challenge should this prove to be? What should I know before the interview this week? Is it just a bad idea in the current market? I'm used to selling in tough times (the hospitality market has not been fun the last two years) but if the job is commission only, can I realistically expect to pay the rent and afford to eat too?

All candid responses welcome :-)