Napa Valley winery Tamber Bey names Ploetz estate director

Michael Ploetz is the new brand ambassador and estate director at Tamber Bey Vineyards in Calistoga.

In addition overseeing all customer programs at the company’s 22-acre winery, hospitality and ranch property, Ploetz will also be curating experiences and events for the winery’s newly completed Ambassador Club Room, according to the announcement.

“Michael brings an extraordinary level of hospitality and management experience to Tamber Bey,” Barry Waitte, owner and vintner, stated in the news release. “He will help us elevate and manage our customer experience and high-level relationships with customers, custom-crush clients and the Napa wine community.”

Most recently, Ploetz oversaw the Alejandro Bulgheroni Estate in St. Helena. He has opened, led and built venues in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco for chefs José Andrés, Michael Voltaggio, and Chris Cosentino.

After receiving a hospitality degree from the University of Wisconsin, Ploetz joined Four Seasons Hotels, where he spent five years in operations. Additional affiliations have included Auberge Resorts, Peninsula Hotels, and Las Alcobas Napa Valley.

Waitte founded Tamber Bey in 1999 after a career with Apple, AOL and the technology venture business.

Tamber Bey is also a custom-crush facility for over 20 Napa and Sonoma wine labels.