While traveling in Italy, he fell in love with the country’s dining tradition of which wine is an inseparable part. He served as the wine director at The Little Nell in Aspen from 2000 to 2008. In the spring of 2003, Richard passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Masters Exam on the first attempt, the ninth person ever to do so. He co-founded his own wine label Betts & Scholl in 2003 and sold it to Castle Brands in the fall of 2009. Richard now serves as the director of fine wine for Castle Brands. Additionally, Richard co-founded Scarpetta Wines, “Cc” Wines and Sombra Mezcal, the most fun agave party to ever take over the world.

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