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There are 555 videos on Wine 2.0
March 5
Smoke and Wayne Jones are now friends
March 5
Laurie Kerr and Smoke are now friends
February 28
There are 5828 photos on Wine 2.0
February 26
Smoke and Thomas Compagnon are now friends
February 11
There are 5799 photos on Wine 2.0
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There are 507 videos on Wine 2.0
January 25
Smoke and Megan are now friends
January 25

Profile Information

Wine Affilliation: Consumer or Trade
Consumer
About Me:
Smoke is an accomplished leader and successful entrepreneur in the beverage & technology industries. He has spent the last 20 years leading or advising many of the leading brand owners and distributors on their “go-to-market” strategies, market execution plans and capital raising/investments. Smoke has raised $100s of millions publically and privately, made 19 acquisitions or sales/divestitures and started 8 companies.

Education Highlights
•Vanderbilt Business School, MBA, concentrations in Finance, Marketing & Operations, Nashville, TN, 1993
•Cornell University, BS in Agricultural Economics, Ithaca, NY, 1989


Career Highlights
•Founder & CEO, Taliera Holdings, acquisition and beverage brand management company- www.taliera.com 2006 to present
•Founder, Chairman & CEO, eSkye, software provider for National Accounts & Brands- www.eskye.com 1999 to present
•Chairman Wine 2.0, the innovator in social networking and events in the wine industry- www.winetwo.com 2008 to present
•Founder & Co-Chairman, Wine Industry Technology Symposium (WITS), 2005 to present
•Chief Financial Officer, EVP & Director, National Wine & Spirits, leading Midwest distributor- www.nwscorp.com 1988 to 2004
•Chairman & President & Director, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, www.wswa.org 1996 to 2004
•Director/Investor United States Beverage (USB) Beer Importer/Marketer, 1997 to 2002
•Co-Founder & Director, Cameron Springs Water Company, 1991 to 2000

Current & Past Boards and Leadership
•Taliera Holdings, Chairman
•eSkye Solutions, Chairman
•WITS – Wine Industry Technology Symposium, Chair
•Wine 2.0, Chairman
•Vanderbilt Business School Alumni Board President
•Entrepreneurship Foundation of JA, Past Chairman
•WSWA, Chairman & President
•National Wine & Spirits
•Centiv [NASDAQ: CNTV]
•Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program 1996
•Council For Leadership Development, Past Chairman
•Junior Achievement of Central Indiana, Past Chairman

Serial Entrepreneur and Beverage Industry Innovator. Smoke has a strong track record of taking ideas from initial concept through the business development process, rewarding clients with clear and concise strategic goals and deliverables. In 1991, he created Cameron Springs Company, which later became the leading bottled water brand in its markets in the Midwest, and eventually sold to Nestle in 2000. Smoke also founded eSkye.com in 1999. eSkye developed and deployed technology for the global beverage industry and currently is the leader in connecting brand owners to key national accounts, led by their initial success with Wal-Mart. He set up offices in Madrid, London, Bangalore and Oslo. Smoke acquired 6 other software companies under eSkye and sold the global winery software division to publicly traded Constellation Software in 2007.

In 2005, he founded WITS, the Wine Industry Technology Symposium. In 1997, Smoke backed financially and operationally, the creation of United States Beverage USB- which over time, imported and marketed over 12 million cases of key beer brands in the US. In 1997, Smoke created NWS Michigan, which captured 60% of the State of Michigan’s liquor business and now ships over $400 million of spirits and wine. He founded Endeavor Corporation, which became a leading boutique consultancy in Category Management for the beverage industry. In 2006, Smoke founded Taliera Holdings, a company set-up to acquire and build beverage brands. Taliera acquired Red Eye Brand in 2008 and has re-branded it and launched it in multiple markets across the US. In 2008, Smoke Co-Founded Wine 2.0 the innovator in social networking and events in the wine industry with a focus on the next generation wine consumer.

Vision, Impact & Industry Leader In 1988, NWS was a $150 million single state wine & spirits distributor. Smoke led the strategic thinking and execution at NWS, which created a $1 billion plus multi-state wine, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic beverage distributor. Smoke created the Council for Leadership Development with some fellow up-and-coming leaders of WSWA to foster leadership for the long term. In addition to his extensive board activity, Smoke is a frequent public speaker and advisor on strategic, market, financial and legislative issues of the beverage alcohol industry and entrepreneurship. His clients or business partners have included: Anheuser-Busch, Credit Suisse, Diageo, Heineken, Pernod Ricard, Allied Domecq, Bass Brewers, Grolsch, Fortune Brands, Seagram, Sierra Nevada, Pete’s Brewing, Stroh’s, Foster’s, US Tobacco, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Trinchero Family Estates as well as 100s of other winery clients from North America to New Zealand. In addition, Smoke has advised investment banks, Credit Suisse, Dematteo Moness and others and many hedge/investment funds on their global beverage investment strategies. Smoke is the recipient of numerous awards and honors in leadership and community service and is an active member of YPO. He is an Eagle Scout and serves as a frequent parent leader in the Crossroads of America council.
Favorite Wine Website:
http://www.taliera.com
Name your favorite wine or wine type:
Pinot Noir
Most memorable experience around wine?
2 many to count.... but here is one, drinking Domain Serene at the Evantad's house

Smoke's Photos

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Smoke's Blog

Smoke

Wine 2.0 in the news...

Pair pour connections through Web site on wine

Posted: Jan. 30, 2010

View All Blog Posts

Like any other hobby, interest or passion, online social networking is changing the way people explore and appreciate wine.

And a Web site founded by a couple of Milwaukee entrepreneurs called Wine 2.0 is in the thick of it - an online destination where players in the industry and vino fans converge in a Facebook-esque, grape-powered playpen.

The site's address is www.wiContinue

Posted on January 31, 2010 at 7:39am —

Smoke

My lastest post on the Drink Technology blog - The Fall Season Shapes Up: Thoughts on online and offline Wine market...

The Fall Season Shapes Up: Thoughts on online and offline Wine market...

My friend Liza has a nice piece in Winebusiness.com today on the Fall selling season. Reports from Nielsen, Bill Cascio at Glazer’s, Wilford Wong at Beverages and more! all point toward improvement over last year, though value driving business.

Yesterday, another Wine 2.0 friend, John Corcoran’s blog “Think Wine Marketing” had a well done piece on the state of marketing wine online with his interview of Paul Mabry.… Continue

Posted on November 10, 2009 at 8:02am —

Smoke

New York Wine industry booming

I just saw this report which points out what many of us have known for some time, that NY has a thriving wine industry. I thought it worth highlighting as we have a handful of NY based wine companies (some producers, some importers) joining our many other fantastic wines from CA and around the world at Wine 2.0 New York Nov 18.

Here is a partial list:
Bouke'
Dr Frank's Vinifera
Fox Run Vineyards
Hudson Valley Wine Country
Hudson Chatham Winery
Milbrook Vineyards and Winery
Palaia Vine
Continue

Posted on November 9, 2009 at 7:09am —

Smoke

Wine 2.0 Announces New York Premiere Of Documentary Film 'America's Wine: The Legacy Of Prohibition' At Wine 2.0 New York Nov 18

New Film Takes Unprecedented Historic View of America's Wine Industry - 'America's Wine: The Legacy of Prohibition' Includes Interviews Which Chronicle The Rebuilding Of The Wine Industry And The Emergence Of A New American Wine Culture.

NEW YORK, NY, November 06, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Wine 2.0, the innovator in social networking and events in the wine industry, announces the Premiere and New York release of the documentary film America's Wine: The Legacy of Prohibition at Wi… Continue

Posted on November 6, 2009 at 8:36am —

Smoke

Wine 2.0 Announces WTN Services Featuring Geerlings & Wade and Heritage Link Brands Wine Products As Host Sponsor For The 2009 Wine 2.0 Expo New York Event

WTN Services, The Leading Winery Fulfillment Company Owned By 1-800-Flowers.com , To Showcase Latest East Coast Services Offering

NEW YORK, NY, October 25, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Wine 2.0, the innovator in social networking and events in the wine industry, announces that WTN Services featuring premier partners, Heritage Link Brands and Geerlings and Wade has joined as Event Host sponsor for Wine 2.0 Expo New York.

Wine 2.0 Expo New York will be held on No… Continue

Posted on October 25, 2009 at 4:02pm —

Comment Wall (249 comments)

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At 12:25pm on February 26, 2010, Michael Denny said…
Thanks Smoke....
At 12:31pm on January 3, 2010, WineWoman said…
Cheers to you Smoke for the friend invite! I'm quite impressed with your accomplishments and look forward to getting to know you better here in the world of Wine 2.0 and beyond! Here's to a happy, health and continued prosperous 2010. Clink!
At 11:41am on December 31, 2009, Eve Hammond Bushman said…
First 10 minutes out of the shoot here. Feel free to tell me how to navigate. I'm a wine 101 writer in So Cal.
At 2:29pm on December 30, 2009, Vee Fitzgerald said…
Hi, thanks for the welcome. I've been meaning to do this for awhile now, Janet Majors is a friend and colleague of mine in Women for WineSense
At 12:50pm on December 10, 2009, Sandramp said…
Thanks Smoke- I am doing some work for District Wine bar and wanted to upload their Tasting Notes series to Wine2.0 ... would the creation of a corporate profile be the best way to do this?
At 5:14pm on November 29, 2009, Ignacio Delgadillo said…
Thanks! I was already a member before, and today I was going to check my profile and had to register all over again. Glad to be back!
At 1:07am on November 27, 2009, Nedko Nedev said…
Thanks Smoke for your message. I was thinking of adding tasting notes to all the pictures I´d uploaded. Nevertheless those wines are available in Spain but not sure about the US. I´d rather suggest if one is interested in particular wine he/she better visit the web www.vinosdebulgaria.com where tasting notes of all the wines are also available in english. Hope this helps. Regards. Nedko, Barcelona.
At 4:51pm on November 26, 2009, senth said…
Thanks smoke, did well actually, but think the advanced is not close to these ones...
At 1:56pm on November 23, 2009, Steve V. Rodriguez said…
Thanks for adding me Smoke! Just wondering if you got my email about proposal? email is steve@progressivepulse.com Thanks, love the site!
At 4:27am on November 11, 2009, Veronique Deblois said…
I'd love to attend the NY event but will unfortunately be traveling for work!
 
 

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