April 19, 2022 – Jeff Anthony, CEO of Vino Vault, the rapidly growing wine storage network with five locations throughout the US, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Smith as Chief Wine Officer. Known for his wine investment and cellar management expertise, Smith will play a critical role in guiding the company’s concierge clients on portfolio optimization.
Under Smith’s guidance, Vino Vault customers will have access to strategic asset management and rebalancing services. For those interested in sales, Smith will provide a turnkey solution, utilizing his longstanding relationships to oversee all aspects of the process including finding an appropriate private buyer or auction house, to packing and shipping wines.
“We are fortunate to have Jeff Smith join our senior executive team,” commented Anthony. “He is a talented and well-respected executive with a deep knowledge of the wine business.”
Smith joined the organization in 2020, when Vino Vault acquired his Los Angeles-based storage facility, The Best Cellar. Soon after, he was invited to stay with the Vino Vault team, advising them on the facets of the industry he loved most: inventory management, customer relations, and auction services.
“Early on it was evident that our partnership was a perfect fit,” said Smith. “I was a ‘wine guy’ who had gotten into the storage business while Jeff Anthony and the Vino Vault team were experts in storage and logistics but were new to wine.”
Before working in the wine industry, Smith spent two decades in entertainment as a marketing and talent executive. In 2002, he fell into the wine industry while helping his father organize his personal collection of 6,000 bottles. Smith created a detailed cataloging system prompting others to demand Smith’s services and form Carte du Vin Wine Cellar Management.
Within two years, Smith had clients in 16 states. Wine Spectator, the Los Angeles Times, CNN and Variety soon published profiles, and in 2004, he was asked by Don Zacharia of Zachy’s Wine Auctions to serve as their agent in Los Angeles. In 2006, Smith authored the book, The Best Cellar, which details how to buy, sell, and maintain a wine collection. He has also been utilized by prosecution for his expertise in cases concerning wine fraud, most notably as a witness for the government against wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan.
Over the years, Smith has managed some of the most prestigious collections and transacted with most of the major auction houses including Acker, Sotheby’s, Christies, Hart-Davis-Hart, Spectrum among others.
Smith currently lives in Beverly Hills with his wife Amy and their daughter Lila, but he and his teams’ services will be available to all concierge clients across Vino Vault’s network.
About Vino Vault, Inc.
Vino Vault exists to make wine collecting simple, enjoyable, and hassle-free. It was created to offer a worldwide platform of storage services to better serve wine collectors, while maintaining the personal service that collectors have come to expect. Learn more at VinoVaultWine.com.
