Producer of fine wines since 2005
Vineyards
Acres
Wines
Honors & Awards
Over 75 Years of Combined Wine Experience
Managing Plata Wine Partner’s exceptional wine portfolio takes a dedicated team with a diverse set of skills. From winemaking and sales to logistics and accounting, Plata’s experienced team of wine industry veterans delivers proven results for our clients, customers, and brands.
Alison Crowe
Vice President, Winemaking
A multi-talented winemaker with a love of balanced wines, Alison believes that brands need to be firmly planted in consistent vineyard sites in order to grow.
Jason Strobbe
President
Jason brings over two decades of leadership experience in the wine and consumer goods industries. With expertise from his roles at Vintage Wine Estates, Truett Hurst, and Shearer’s Snacks, Jason is dedicated to driving growth and innovation for Plata Wine Partners.
Aaron Fein
EVP, Sales & Marketing
Born and raised in New Jersey, Aaron came to the wine business after graduating from UNLV. He began his wine journey with Barefoot Cellars helping lead the company to nearly 1M cases as National Sales Director.
Jim Diana
Director, National Accounts
With over 28 years of experience in the alcohol beverage industry, including leadership roles at Treasury Wine Estates and Vintage Wine Estates, Jim brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success. He’s managed national brand portfolios, driven sales growth, and built strong relationships.
Stacy Vogel
Winemaker
Your typical “gal from North Carolina travels abroad, falls in love with wine, moves to California to follow a dream, and becomes an award-winning California winemaker” story. A winemaker since 2004, Stacy also completed her MBA in 2015 to learn the hard realities of cashflow, ROI, and profitability.
Michelle Stange
Operations Analyst
Michelle Stange joined the Plata team in 2015. Michelle is the Operations Administrator who coordinates the bottlings with the suppliers and facilities.
Maria Janovich
Director of Finance & Accounting
Maria Janovich serves as Plata’s Controller. She brings 25 years of accounting and financial experience to the team, mainly in agriculture. Maria graduated from the University of San Francisco with an emphasis in Accounting.
Debra Vargas
Staff Accountant
Debra joined Plata in early 2021 to support the accounting department. She brings over 10 years of accounting experience in vineyard management.
Jessica Valenzuela
Production Planning Manager
Jessica grew up in Walnut Creek and attended college at Cal Poly. She started her career in winemaking working in the cellar at Groth and Cade. She was the enologist/assistant winemaker at Saintsbury and then production manager for Amici Cellars, where she mastered procurement, logistics, and custom crush winemaking.
Shane Owens
National Strategic Accounts Director, East
Shane brings years of experience to the Plata Sales team. He came to Plata from Precept Wine Company where he was the Strategic Accounts Director, East for 10 years. Shane’s hobbies include golf, fishing, and college football.
Liz Lewis
Marketing Manager
Liz brought her creativity and project management skills to the Plata team in 2020. Growing up a native Californian, she made the trek to Lafayette College in PA to earn her degree. Eventually making her way to Napa, Liz cultivated her passion for wine and turned it into a career.
Rebecca Chowaiki
Assistant Winemaker
Rebecca, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, pursued her education at UC Davis, earning a degree in Viticulture & Enology with a minor in Italian. Her career in the wine industry began with harvests in both Napa and Chianti Classico, where she gained hands-on experience in the lab, cellar, and vineyard. Now, she brings her expertise to the Plata winemaking team as its newest member.
Industry Accolades & Awards
Award of Excellence
Each year Total Wine and More awards four companies for outstanding achievement. In 2018 Plata has been presented the “Award of Excellence”! This award represents excellence in all categories…innovation, speed to market, quality of product and for being a great partner. Big thanks to the Plata team for delivering great wine with great packaging!
