Private Client/Trade Ambassador - Ram's Gate Winery

Description

Perched upon the rolling hills that define the landscape of the Carneros AVA, Ram’s Gate welcomes visitors as they enter Sonoma’s Wine Country. The vision of owner Jeff O'Neill, Ram’s Gate Winery brings a new perspective on refined elegance through thoughtful farming, transparent winemaking, genuine hospitality, and sublime culinary experiences. The cornerstone of the O'Neill family portfolio, Ram's Gate is dedicated to creating compelling and uncompromising wines sourced from vineyards that encompass the spirit of Sonoma County. Its connection to the land is reflected in the breathtaking tasting room overlooking the estate vineyard, which comprises 28 acres of organically farmed vines.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Ram’s Gate Winery is seeking an experienced hospitality professional to help shape and lead the estate's guest experience for collectors, members, trade partners, and VIP guests. This role is designed for someone who understands and appreciates the importance of relationship-driven hospitality and who has experience building long-term loyalty with discerning clientele in luxury environments. The Private Client/Trade Ambassador serves as a lead representative of the winery through elevated hosting, personalized guest experiences, private client relationship management, and thoughtful public representation of the Ram’s Gate brand. Through close collaboration with the hospitality, culinary, sales, winemaking, marketing, and leadership teams, this role will help guests understand what Ram’s Gate stands for, including our commitment to Regenerative Organic Farming, sustainability, responsible business practices, and the connection between farming, wine, hospitality, and place. The ideal candidate brings a natural sense of hospitality, the ability to leverage emotional intelligence to anticipate guest needs and deliver customized experiences, professionalism, and confidence in high-touch environments. They understand how to create experiences that feel personal, memorable, and genuine while also supporting meaningful business outcomes such as guest retention, membership growth, and long-term client engagement. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following reflects management’s definition of essential functions for this job, but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities for this job at any time for reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

Elevated Guest Experiences

• Host onsite and offsite private tastings, member gatherings, and estate experiences for collectors, members, VIP guests, media, and trade partners 
• Create intentional, welcoming, well-paced, and personalized experiences that reflect the quality, character, and standards of Ram’s Gate 
• Guide guests through the winery’s wines, vineyard sources, farming and sustainability practices, hospitality philosophy, and estate story in a natural and engaging way that feels cohesive and memorable

Private Client and Member Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain long-term relationships with collectors, members, and high-value guests
• Serve as an ongoing point of contact for select clients, including visit planning, personalized outreach, follow-up communication, and ongoing relationship care
• Maintain accurate and useful guest profiles, relationship notes, preferences, and follow-up details within CRM systems
• Use client insight to support stronger retention, deeper engagement, repeat visits, and thoughtful wine recommendations to help guests understand the broader value of belonging to Ram’s Gate
• Identify opportunities to deepen guest connection with the winery through membership, allocations, library offerings, events, and curated estate experiences 

Trade and Community Engagement

• Host trade partners, sommeliers, distributors, media, and industry guests at the estate 
• Represent Ram’s Gate at winery events, charitable functions, community gatherings, and select offsite experiences 
• Build meaningful relationships with partners who share and support the winery’s values, approach to hospitality standards, and commitment to sustainability
• Partner with our sales and leadership teams to cultivate relationship development in key markets as identified by the CMO/EVP Luxury 
• Support the winery through occasional travel for trade events, member experiences, or brand representation opportunities 

Partnership with Hospitality & DTC Operations

• Plan and coordinate onsite guest visits with thoughtful attention to timing, communication, and service flow for an elevated and seamless guest experience
• Contribute to hospitality goals related to guest satisfaction, conversion, retention, repeat business, and long-term relationship growth
• Help maintain a calm, team-oriented, and highly professional environment during service and events

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS:

To fulfill this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

Required Experience

• Minimum 3 years of experience in luxury hospitality, retail, resort, culinary-focused environments; working directly with ultra-high net worth individuals, top-tier guests, collectors, members, private clients, VIPs, trade partners, or other discerning clientele 
• Demonstrated success in building and sustaining long-term client or guest relationships 
• Experience hosting personalized, high-touch guest experiences 
• Strong understanding of elevated hospitality standards, guest engagement, client follow-up, and relationship-based selling 
• Proven ability to communicate complex or nuanced subjects in a clear, warm, and audience-appropriate way 
• Experience using CRM systems or guest databases to document preferences, track relationships, and support follow-up 
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, evenings, and events as required 
• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Required Certifications: California Food Handlers Training & RBS Certification (within 30 days of employment).

Preferred Qualifications

• Wine industry experience strongly preferred, particularly in luxury hospitality, private client sales, or winery membership programs 
• Knowledge of Sonoma, Napa, fine wine service, and collector culture preferred 
• WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, or similar wine education is a plus, though not required 
• Experience representing a luxury brand publicly through events, partnerships, or client development activities

Personal Attributes

• Warm, polished, and emotionally intelligent 
• Strong interpersonal instincts with the ability to read a room and adapt naturally to different guests and situations 
• Excellent communication and listening skills 
• Calm under pressure and highly organized 
• Comfortable working independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment 
• Passion for hospitality, wine, food, travel, culture, and creating meaningful guest experiences 
• Professional presence with a genuine and approachable style

CULTURAL BEHAVIORS:

O’Neill team members are Forward Thinkers. Hard Working without Drama. Friendly Problem Solvers who work as One Team to Always Deliver.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to do the following: 

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the workday
• Ability to lift and carry up to 40 pounds on occasion, including wine cases, event materials, and hospitality equipment
• Ability to navigate stairs, vineyards, production spaces, and outdoor hospitality areas
• Ability to work in varying weather conditions during outdoor events and guest experiences
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Ability to maintain professionalism, composure, and hospitality standards in a dynamic guest-facing environment
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with guests, team members, and industry partners
• Must be at least 21 years of age

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• This role is based on site at Ram’s Gate Winery and involves daily interaction with guests, members, trade professionals, and internal teams in both indoor and outdoor hospitality settings.
• The schedule includes weekends, holidays, evenings, and winery events, based on business needs. The environment is fast-paced during peak visitation periods while maintaining a high standard of professionalism, attentiveness, and hospitality.
• The role also includes occasional local and out-of-market travel for winery events, trade functions, and client engagement opportunities. (Approximately 5%)

California Pay Transparency Notice: This position is classified as non-exempt. The base compensation range for this role is $32 per hour. Candidates are generally not hired at or near the maximum of the base compensation range. Final salary placement will depend on several factors, which may include the candidate’s qualifications, education, relevant experience, and alignment with current market data. In addition to the base pay, this position may be eligible for tips or incentive plans as applicable.

O’Neill Vintners & Distillers offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package to our full-time employees, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage; short- and long-term disability; a 401(k) with a company match; Paid Time Off; holidays; and more.

O’Neill Vintners & Distillers is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions, including hiring, promotion, discipline, and discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

All employees must pass a comprehensive background check and drug screen and adhere to all Company, Federal, and State Food Safety Regulations and Policies. This organization participates in E-Verify.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES

Please note that we do not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Services Agreement, we will not consider or agree to any payment of referral compensation or a recruiter fee. In the event that a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, we explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency.