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www.DressYourHorse.com and Smoke are now friends
August 4
A blog post by Smoke was featured
ART SAN DIEGO Showcases Over 50 Leading Galleries From Around The World And Over 2,000 Works of Art. This Event Will Draw Over 6000 Esteemed Art Collectors From Around The World The Event Is Being Held At The Spectacular Hilton San Diego Bayfront,…
June 18
Smoke and John Mellberg are now friends
June 6
There are 6092 photos on Wine 2.0
May 16
Smoke and Chris Maestas are now friends
April 24
There are 5966 photos on Wine 2.0
April 12
Smoke and von Strasser Winery are now friends
April 12
A video by Smoke was featured
Coincidentally, I was in NY last week for meetings and Marvin Shanken’s industry CEO Impact Seminar and found out my friend Michael Gelb was also in town to promote his new book, “Wine Drinking For Inspired Thinking”. We arranged to meet up at the L…
March 31

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™ & ART SAN DIEGO Partner To Bring World Class Wineries To The 2010 ART SAN DIEGO Contemporary Art Fair Presented By UBS Financial Services

ART SAN DIEGO Showcases Over 50 Leading Galleries From Around The World And Over 2,000 Works of Art.



Continue

Posted on June 18, 2010 at 8:14am —

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 —

Comment Wall (253 comments)

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At 9:02pm on August 26, 2010, Razor's Edge TV said…
Hey, thanks for the welcome over at Razors Edge. Hit me up at Wine Time TV, that's my main profile. I hooked up Razor's as a social marketing favor, however I don't think they 'get' it, so that page will likely be inactive sooner than later.
Thanks anyhoo!
Cheers!
At 8:42pm on August 4, 2010, www.DressYourHorse.com said…
Thanks much! Pleased to meet on Wine
At 8:41pm on August 4, 2010, www.DressYourHorse.com said…
Wow - just had a read - I'm seriously impressed!
At 8:40pm on August 4, 2010, www.DressYourHorse.com said…
Thank you so much for the hi - been busy - amazed someone noticed
At 9:49am on July 7, 2010, Hillary Schuler-Jones said…
Thank you! I am excited to check everything out.
At 2:50pm on June 20, 2010, Ann Berchtold said…
Thanks! Hope to see you at ART SAN DIEGO with Wine 2.0
At 11:01am on March 29, 2010, John Carter said…
Thanks Smoke. Glad to be here.
At 3:34pm on March 22, 2010, Juanma Terceño said…
Thanks Smoke
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!
 
 
 

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