The highly respected Rick Garced is a well-known wine master, restaurateur, writer and wine consultant based in Miami, Florida and Europe. He has been instrumental in the development of award winning wine and service operations programs for American and global companies in hospitality such as Windows on the World as Maître d’Hôtel for “The Ballroom & the Hudson River Suites”, Wine Consultant to Celebrity Cruises, Apollo Ship Chandlers, Inc, Silversea Cruises and wine editor and columnist for Dining Out Magazine.
He is the Founding President & CEO of the United States Sommelier Association, Inc. a non-profit 501 (c)6 educational and professional organization that has operated the US Sommelier Association Wine School at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Miami and at Johnson & Wales University, Florida Campus since 1998.
Educated at leading institutions such as Brookdale College, New Jersey; The Foundation Institute of the National Restaurant Association, Chicago and it’s affiliate Purdue University School of Hospitality, Indiana; Sterling Vineyards School of Service and Hospitality, Napa Valley, University of Paris-Sorbonne, Paris, Miami-Dade College and University of Miami; he has been bestowed recognition awards such as the Distinguishing Visiting Sommelier Award from Johnson & Wales University and Commandeur d’Honneur de la Commanderie du Bontemps, Médoc et Graves, Sauternes et Barsac, Bordeaux, France among many others.
His interests include being an avid golfer, tennis player and gourmet chef.