Karl Newman - North Texas & East Texas
Karl entered the Texas wine industry in 1992. As a sales representative, he was considered to be a trend setter by conducting wine/sake information and wine/food pairing trainings for restaurant accounts. Known for his creativity, selling and organizational skills he quickly rose to be a sales supervisor and regional manager where he developed a reputation for introducing new company practices and strategies that enhanced his sales team’s performance. Based in North Texas, Karl's enthusiasm for both fine wine and customer service have made him a top leader in the Texas wine industry. Karl holds 3 degrees from LSU in Liberal Arts, History and Political Science.
Darcee Grice - Greater Houston Area
Darcee has a diverse management background in both the wine, spirits and the energy industries. Her expertise, experience and best practices in customer relationship management, sales, operations and high level strategic marketing have allowed her to work with the likes of Boisset America, Dynegy, Vinterus Technologies and others as President of Winestock Marketing. Darcee’s wine and spirits education began in the mid 80s in France, focusing on Bourgogne and Champagne. She is a graduate of Schreiner College.
Buddy Hagner - Greater Houston Area
Buddy has over 30 years experience in the wine and spirits business. A native Texan, Buddy started out as the owner of two retail package stores. In 1997,having been a broker for several years, Buddy joined a newly formed wine distribution company. Buddy was instrumental in growing the company’s sales from $1 million to over $18 million annually during his tenure. Buddy is well versed in all facets of the wine distribution business, holding several different positions including State Sales Manager and General Manager. Buddy’s strong relationships with customers and wineries alike, as well as his extensive knowledge of operations and logistics required in the business, add an essential component to our management team.
Mark Murphy - Central and West Texas
Mark has been in the Texas wine business for more than 22 years. Mark started in Houston where he became well known for his ability to build and expand business lines through the sale and promotion of fine wines. In 1998, Mark moved to Austin as the Central Texas Area Manager for a wine distributor. Since that time, Mark has grown the business substantially, from a start-up operation doing $30,000 per month in revenues to over $4 million annually in 2005. Over the years, Mark has assembled an outstanding sales team internally, while establishing strong external relationships with both Texas fine wine customers and wineries across the country. Mark will continue to be based in Austin.
Cal Remsburg - Greater Houston Area
Cal has over 23 years experience in the restaurant, night club, and wine distribution business. Originally from Dallas, Cal gained invaluable management experience while running and participating in ownership of several top restaurants and clubs in Dallas, Houston, and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In 1990, Cal joined Glazer Wholesale and quickly became one of their top sales persons in the company, specializing in fine restaurants, hotels, and corporate accounts. In 2002, after 12 years with Glazer, Cal joined Horizon Wines as South Texas Sales Manager. In his four years plus with Horizon, Cal increased sales in his respective area to over $10 million annually. In addition, Cal helped develop and implement Horizon's state-wide corporate account program. Cal brings to the company substantial knowledge of the on-premise business and strong relationships with many wineries across the country.
