RICHMOND, Va. — Grayum Vickers, wine director and sommelier at Lost Letter and Lillian restaurants in Richmond, has taken an unconventional path to becoming one of the city’s wine experts.
After leaving New York in 2019 with his wife, Vickers embarked on a journey that took them to South America before COVID-19 cut their travels short. Rather than settling down immediately, the couple spent a year car camping across the United States.
"We drove all over Texas, Arizona, California, Washington, Oregon, and Utah. I mean everywhere," Vickers said.
During their travels, they explored various cities they might want to call home, but Richmond was always on their radar.
"[We] just had a good time here in the past. Day trip to the beach, day trip to the mountains. The weather is not too hot for me, not too cold for my wife. Close to our families but not too close," Vickers said.
His connection to Richmond began years earlier when he toured the East Coast with his punk band, Safety, which formed in 2002.
"Richmond was always an absolute blast. I ended up making great friends here over the years," Vickers said.
'Absolute Magic'
Before entering the wine world, Vickers worked at the prestigious Nomad restaurant in New York, part of the renowned restaurant group that includes 11 Madison Park. His path to fine dining came after an entirely different career.
"I was teaching high school meteorology," he revealed, noting he holds a master's degree in the subject.
His entry into the wine world happened almost by chance when sommeliers at Nomad invited him to join their tasting group after noticing his interest.
"It was absolute magic," Vickers said.
Now at Lost Letter and Lillian, Vickers brings his expertise and passion for coastal wines, which he describes as distinctively saline.
"What grows together goes together," he said. "Lillian is a seafood restaurant, and those wines are absolutely perfect with oysters, swordfish, lobster, and caviar."
His personal favorite is a Txakoli from northern Spain, which he calls "sommelier crack" for its low alcohol content, high acidity, slight spritz, and coastal salinity "that makes you want to take another sip."
Perhaps most exciting is Vickers’ decision to offer Dom Pérignon P2 2006 by the glass at Lost Letter—a rare opportunity for Richmond diners to experience exceptional champagne without purchasing an entire bottle.
Vickers credits his former employer, The Nomad, for inspiring this offering.
"When people would drink it, you could tell that it was the highlight of their meal. It was really fun. It was just pure joy," he said. "As soon as I heard that it was available, I got the idea to continue that tradition."
Lost Letter focuses on Italian cuisine, particularly from the northwestern Piedmont region, featuring handmade pasta and seafood dishes based on traditional recipes.
At Lillian, just across the street, he collaborates with fellow sommelier PJ on an innovative wine list organized by bodies of water relevant to the vineyards.
"It's a new concept of a wine list. It's organized by the body of water most relevant to the vines. It's subjective, but it's fun and innovative," Vickers said.
The team behind Lost Letter and Lillian is now preparing to open a third venue called The Brooklyn, named after owners' [Pat and Megan Phelan] son (Lillian is named after their daughter). This new spot will be a cocktail-focused bar at the corner of Summit and Norfolk in Scott's Addition, featuring an extensive wine-by-the-glass selection.
Celebrity Encounters
Before coming to Richmond, Vickers worked at The Nomad, where he served numerous celebrities.
He fondly recalled serving Metallica after their Madison Square Garden performance.
"They were all wearing suits. They're super styled out," Vickers said. "They drink champagne, for sure. I just think it's the most metal thing ever, to drink champagne and be a champagne expert."
Vickers was particularly impressed with drummer Lars Ulrich, who defied his expectations.
"I expected him to be kind of cold and rude. He was one of the sweetest people at that level you could meet," Vickers said.
The band exclusively drank Dom Pérignon that night, discussing vintage preferences with Vickers. At the end of the evening, Ulrich gifted the staff a bottle.
"Lars was like, 'Thank you guys so much. Here’s, please enjoy this from Metallica.' It was a bottle of '06 Dom. We drank it as we cleaned up," Vickers said.
"It was such a suave, cool move that you didn't have to do. Not that the cost is much to him, but it was a very thoughtful and fun gesture."
Vickers also recalled a memorable experience serving Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, and Tom Hanks at the same table. When Hanks jokingly requested a "cigarette cart," the staff quickly assembled one as a gag.
When not working at his restaurants, Vickers frequents local spots like Pho Tay Do, Grisette, and The Roosevelt. Both Lost Letter and Lillian recently made the Richmond Times-Dispatch's list of top 100 restaurants.
Looking ahead, Vickers remains focused on his wine program: "My focus is on keeping that wine list as cool as I can, acquiring as many interesting wines as possible, and traveling to bring some cool secrets back to Richmond."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
