Our Proprietors
About Us | Our Proprietors | Joining the Vin Bin Team
Rick Lombardi
From his days of filling wine racks and beer coolers as an 18-year-old stock boy in a Worcester, Mass., grocery store, Rick one day dreamed of operating a shop where he could spread his passion for wine to a wider audience.
But a wine career remained just a dream for three decades.
Rick earned his bachelor’s degree in political science, and then earned a Master’s degree in Journalism from Boston University. It wasn’t the last time Rick would attend school there – though he didn’t know it then.
He spent the better part of his youthful career as a reporter and editor for various daily and weekly newspapers in the Marlboro area. He then joined the Massachusetts Gubernatorial administration of William Weld and Argeo Paul Cellucci as a speechwriter and press secretary in the cabinet office of Environmental Affairs.
He finished his career in media and government as a communications director for the Sheriff of Suffolk County.
During the day he toiled in the public affairs of government, but at night, he delved deeply into the world of wine and fancy food, eventually attending and earning certification with distinction in Wine Appreciation and Cheese from Boston University.
His love of wine, cheese and all things good in life led him to create what became, eventually, The Vin Bin.
Today, Rick sports the red apron of Vin Bin staff, hoisting cases of wine to customers’ cars, carving giant wheels of freshly imported cheeses, haggling with vendors over items for the shop.
Yet, despite the long hours and uncertainties of a life in retail, a smile is never far from Rick’s face. You can reach him via email at Rick@thevinbin.com
Julie Lombardi
If Rick was the dreamer who conjured up images of The Vin Bin, then Julie was the engine that made the dream a reality.
A Nurse Practitioner, Julie’s career is about helping people through the pain and suffering of medical woes – a trait that came in helpful as the Lombardis painstakingly created the Vin Bin.
The mother of four, three of whom are now in college, Julie is the nimble-minded member of the family, who agreed to dual her life as a medical professional and creator of the much-in-demand Vin Bin Gift Basket.
She shuffles between caring for her patients during the day and staffing The Vin Bin at night.
Her specialties are exotic chocolates, nifty dips, spreads and jams, fascinating tins of fancy foods – all uncommon brands that deserve an audience.
Julie commands Gift Basket Central. Send Julie an email and she will gladly discuss the various Gift Basket options. She can be reached at Julie@thevinbin.com
