Ross and Ned met in Providence, RI in 1983 when they were six years old. Perhaps because of their striking similarities and shared interest (both had platinum blond bowl hair cuts and loved nerf basketball), the two became instant and inseparable friends. Little did they know that their friendship would be going strong nearly 25 years later.

Throughout elementary school, Ned managed to maintain an exact one half inch height advantage over Ross, which seemed only fair since he was exactly one half year older. When you add in Ned's fifth grade Andre Agassi inspired '80's spiked haircut, this half inch advantage was more like a half foot. True to his haircut, Ned was quickly becoming quite accomplished in tennis. Ross's tennis career was not taking off quite as well. During a feature tennis match at a summer tennis camp in 1989, Ned played in front of the entire camp while Ross was selected as a ball boy. Ross would soon excel in a sport that did not require so much movement...golf.

By the late '80's and their teen years upon them, the two maintained their close bond. Ned was now legitimately a half foot taller now (the Agassi cut was a thing of the past) and with a little help from some lemon juice, a great deal blonder. It is no surprise that the two attended some era appropriate concerts, including such greats as: Milli Vanilli, Vanilla Ice, and Bobby Brown. Lucky for you, Barrel Thief's music is selected by Ross' much cooler younger brother.

High school forced the two to spend less time together. Ned took Spanish and honors classes. Ross took French and non-honors classes. Ned played varsity soccer and varsity tennis. Ross played 3 years of JV soccer and captained the varsity golf team. Although officially on the golf roster, Ross ended up practicing an awful lot with the tennis team. Nobody is really sure how he pulled that off. And let's not forget Ross' one prolific year on the football team as the place kicker.

After high school, Ned went off to Harvard. Ross, attending another school in the Boston area, found himself spending a lot of time on Harvard's campus. So much time, in fact, that a large percentage of Ned's classmates (specifically the women Ross was trying to impress), thought Ross attended Harvard as well.

By their senior years, Ross had transferred to Pacific University in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley. While all his classmates were drinking cheap beer, Ross was drinking cheap beer and top flight Pinot Noir. Since Ned was at Harvard (not known for its social scene), he wasn't really drinking much of either.

During college, Ned studied organizational psychology (ooh...that sounds fun) and actually wrote a senior paper on the psychological aspects of best friends starting a business together. Without them knowing, the early foundations for Barrel Thief were well underway.

Ned and Ross were eager to enter the real world following graduation...or so they thought. Less than a year after working for a large company, Ned realized his entrepreneurial desires were too strong. He started a business in New York, but by 2003 he realized he wanted to go back to school. In the fall of 2004 he began working towards his MBA at the University of North Carolina.

After college, Ross found himself selling wine in Portland, Maine. He then moved back to Providence, RI for the opportunity to cook at Al Forno, one of the country's top restaurants. After meeting his bride to be, he followed her to Richmond where he has spent the last four years educating people about wine in various jobs in the wine industry.

Although hundreds of miles from where they grew up, with Ned in Chapel Hill and Ross in Richmond, the two were now only a few hours drive away from each other. During the summer of 2005, Barrel Thief began to officially take form. Recognizing that Ross's strengths lie in his knowledge of wine and Ned's in his knowledge of business, Barrel Thief was the logical business to start. The plans for the Ross and Ned Tennis and Golf Academy would have to wait.

With a year and half of thought behind the Barrel Thief concept, Ross and Ned are excited to offer what they consider to be the best wine experience. Although neither is as blond as when they first met, and Ross is now a half inch taller than Ned and the proud father of a new baby boy, their friendship remains strong and acts as the foundation for the business. Come to Barrel Thief and see what 25 years of planning has produced.

Want a 5% discount? Since Ross and Ned's friendship is the foundation for Barrel Thief, they are always happy to offer discounts to good friends. Bring in a friend and get 5% off. Just tell us at checkout that the person with you is a great friend of yours and the discount will be applied.