Lance Lemon and Kristen Gardner of RichWine (Photo by Jay Paul)
RichWine founders Lance Lemon and Kristen Gardner have known each other for decades. In recent years, their exploration of wine grew, along with their friendship and desire to operate their own business. When the pandemic struck, the duo’s original plans to open a New York storefront shifted. Returning to their roots, in November they launched the statewide wine delivery service RichWine. With goals for a retail shop, they aim to help imbibers explore organic, biodynamic and natural selections and make the world of wine more inclusive and approachable.
Richmond magazine: How did you two originally meet?
Kristen Gardner: We both grew up in Hanover County, and we first met in high school. Lance was a year ahead of me at [the] University of Virginia, and we both ended up in New York. We’ve always been doing our own thing but in similar spaces. Our apartments were a mile away in Brooklyn; Lance had a wine shop, and his wife and I had the same commute to work and [rode] the same train car.
RM: How do you want to help people learn about and approach wine differently?
Lance Lemon: We are still constantly learning ourselves every day. I love good convo, I love being social around people with wine, and I love for people to not have that feeling that wine isn’t something for them — I feel like there is a wine for everyone out there.
Gardner: It’s still a learning process for us as well, and the more we can engage and talk, the better it is for everyone. We definitely want to encourage people to jump in and ask questions and have fun with it.
RM: When did your wine journey begin?
Gardner: I love wine, it’s a gathering place, brings people together with food and conversation and fantastic scenery. I was fortunate to grow up in Virginia and hit the wine trail as soon as turned 21. I wanted to be a part of an environment that brings folks together but is still exploratory enough because there are tons of varietals and blends, and it’s educational and fun and a good time.
Lemon: I’ve been in hospitality my whole life. When I got to New York, I bartended and waited tables — it was my survivor job. I was asked to be a wine rep, and I ended my time in restaurants to work in sales — ultimately [I] did it to open my schedule for acting auditions. From there I fell in love with the history, the people in wine, vineyard work, different varietals. I also fell in love with the business side of it and [with] wine shops — they became my favorite places to go and hang out and shoot the s--- about wine.
