Reiman is new wine steward at Ray's

Dean Reiman has relocated to Sisters to take over the wine department at Ray's Food Place. He moved from Cannon Beach a few weeks ago, where he owned and operated The Wine Shack since 2000.

Reiman began conversations with Don Boyd, Ray's longtime wine steward, while vacationing in Central Oregon.

"The first time I came I was impressed. It wasn't the same old selection... there were some gems you don't usually see," said Reiman. "I wanted to meet the person making these decisions, which turned out to be Don."

Since then, Reiman and Boyd have kept in touch. As Boyd began approaching retirement, he recruited Reiman to take over the department.

Reiman looks forward to continuing his career in the wine industry at Ray's. He cultivated his passion for wine as a young man when he and his mother planted grapes and tried to make wine with the harvest.

"It was the worst wine I ever had," he said with a laugh.

With a new respect for the skilled art of winemaking, Reiman's love of wine continued to grow as he lived abroad in Italy.

"I was really inspired while talking to people from different cultures; they see wine as food and as an integral part of a meal," Reiman said.

Reiman's passion led him to a career in wine after years as a social worker.

"I really like the social aspect of the wine business and interacting with customers. I find that many people who enjoy wine also like food, travel, art, music and literature and I like to talk with them," Reiman said.

His customers from The Wine Shack in Cannon Beach include some of the rich and famous. "Adam West was in my store, so I can say I sold wine to Batman," said Reiman. "It's funny; all I talked to Batman about was the type of sweet wine his mom likes."

Helen Hunt, Melanie Griffith and other celebrities also stopped in his shop.

Beyond the social aspect, Reiman likes working in wine because there are always opportunities to learn.

"I find out something new about a varietal of grape or a winemaker every day," he said.

All this study has led Reiman to a simple observation: "It's most important that wine tastes good."

For him, quality wines have subtlety and depth, and reflect the growing season.

"A lot of winemakers strive to make their wines uniform over the years; I like wines that show vintage variation - that are different from year to year," he said. "I'm also looking for wines with character and personality."

Reiman started out with the big, bold reds of Washington, his native state, and also grew to love the refined wines of the Old World. When he moved to Oregon in 2000, he knew he'd have to cater to customers looking for a good Oregon pinot noir.

"Originally I wasn't a fan of Oregon pinot noir. I knew I'd have to wrap my head around it, so I started every Monday, my day off, to travel to Oregon wine country," Reiman recalled.

"Finally I had an epiphany," he said. "I realized that all the wines I was buying from tastings were Oregon pinot noirs. It was a real awakening to the subtleties in well-made Oregon pinot noir," he explained. "It's intriguing, with many layers, and it doesn't overpower you with any single dimension."

For Reiman, Cameron Winery and Yves Shamwood are wineries to look to for distinctive pinot noirs from Oregon.

Reiman brings to the wine department at Ray's these tastes for Oregon pinot, experience from a lifetime of self study, and over 10 years in the wine industry. He looks forward to expanding the wine tastings at Ray's every Friday and Saturday afternoon and meeting some of his new customers.

Reiman is happy to be a part of Ray's Food Place: "It's a family-owned business, which is important for us (Reiman and his wife); at the end of the day the customer is the person we want to make happy."

So far, he has been enjoying Sisters and his new position.

"I have been humbled and overwhelmed by how welcoming and helpful the people are here," said Reiman. "So many people have said to me, 'Welcome to Sisters - you're going to love it here.'"