Ryan Reichert (1984, a great year)Willamette Valley, Oregon
Hi and thanks for visiting oe•no•phile! As the author of this blog I thought I should put some information about myself here.
Everyone always asks how I got into wine - simply put it all started when I was 16 and tried French wine (in the Loire Valley of France!) for the first time. A bottle of 1999 Domaine de Montsabert Anjou on November 5, 2000 to be exact. Days later the second bottle came into my life—a 1988 Réserve Jules Peron Saumur Champigny. However, at that point wine was just something extra—not something I would have ever considered a passion or career choice.
Inspired by a college professor and local producers I had a mini-epiphany that you don’t have to be retired to work in the wine biz. After graduating I spent more than six months backpacking around the Europe in Spain, France, and Italy where I tasted wines, ate great food, and made many amazing new friends. Once home in northeast Ohio, I quickly found a job at Grand River Cellars.
After over two years of managing the wine bar at Grand River Cellars, I decided to pack up my life and drive across the nation to Oregon wine country. Now living in the Willamette Valley, home to world-class Pinot noir and countless producers, I have begun to find my place in the strong and growing community. I am currently the tasting room associate manager for Trisaetum Winery located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA.
I hold both the Intermediate and Advanced certifications from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust completed at The American Wine School in Cleveland. I've also finished a French wine certification course and have been certified as a Spanish Wine Educator with the Wine Academy of Spain. I am an active member of the American Wine Society, founded the Willamette Valley Wine Century Chapter, and have been a tasting judge for amateur and professional wine making organizations.
My wine writing began with my blog, oe•no•phile in the fall of 2008, motivated by a funky Spanish wine made from the mencía grape. Later, I started writing a weekly wine column for the Lake County Tribune called The Weekly Wine Press, later expanded to a monthly two-page spread on wine and spirits. I am the managing editor for Palate Press: The Online Wine Magazine, and a contributing editor for Willamette Valley Life Magazine. I also contribute to Travel Oregon's website and several other print and online publications.
Overall, one of my favorite things is to interact with wine drinkers, novice or experienced, and to help them learn more about wine and find new favorites. I look forward to continuing my own education while helping those I meet to learn more about and enjoy wine.
So thanks for reading, and please feel free to contact me with comments, suggestions, questions, or just because anytime.
Cheers!
Ryan
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