CEO Spotlight: Robert Reyes

REYES WINERY AND REYES WINERY ON MAIN

BY JIM WALKER Signal Staff Writer

Robert Reyes is the owner of the 16-acre, award-winning Reyes Winery in Agua Dulce, as well as the recently-opened Reyes Winery On Main, which is an imaginative rooftop tasting room/restaurant in Old Town Newhall.

Though neither of these businesses turned out to be exactly as he first envisioned, they are both thriving under his direction — which, indeed, could be described as part bold direction, but also part gentle nurturing and part being open and allowing nature to take its course.

And while this firm-but-gentle “winemaker’s hand” is pretty much a requirement for a successful vintner, Reyes seems to have applied it to all phases of his varied and interesting life — with some “will” and “why not?” included.

Foundations

Robert Reyes and his two older sisters were born and raised in Valverde, Dominican Republic. And though he had an aunt there who made wine, which planted the grapeseed of, “Someday, I’m going to do that,” in his mind, he said he actually expected to be a doctor when he grew up. But his widowed mother was a seamstress, and that, and her demonstrated hard-work ethic, would have a more direct influence on his life.

“Things are hard in the Dominican Republic,” Reyes said, and so the family moved, in stages, to New York City, where he took up the task of learning English with full focus, knowing that doing well in this new life would depend on it. As proof, Reyes earned his Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration and was immediately hired as a computer programmer by an insurance company. He was transferred to Los Angeles in 1971, where he, just 20 years old, and his then-wife started a garmentsewing business – while he continued to work for the insurance company. As the sewing business grew, and morphed into being a manufacturer of blouses, Reyes son, Robert Reyes II, currently owns the company. “I had closed the business, then reopened it, and then put it under his direction,” Reyes said. He explained that he never pushed his son to follow in his business, “But he did, and he’s doing very well.” And he added, “My daughters are also doing very well. Sandra lives in Wyoming and Elizabeth lives in New Jersey.

Robert Reyes, the owner of Reyes Winery and Reyes Winery on Main, goes over the menu with the hostesses at his restaurant in Newhall. PHOTO BY CHRIS TORRES / THE SIGNAL

left his computer job. Eventually, they sold the thriving business to a group of investors.

In 1973 Reyes purchased a 12-unit apartment building as an investment. “I bought my first apartment building at age 23, before I bought my first house,” he said. Figuring he needed to learn all he could about this business, he began taking real estate classes at L.A. City College. This paved the way for his long and successful career in real estate. “It’s been my career and still is,” he said, “mostly residential income properties, apartments.”

More Evolutions

While continuing in real estate, in 1984 Reyes purchased a steel construction company, building entire service stations for the major oil companies. “And then it evolved into making high end glass garage doors,” he said. “We have one of those doors leading to the sidewalk at the Winery On Main.” His

Time for Wine

Reyes said, that, despite his aunt’s influence, his journey with winemaking began with reading books on it some 45 years ago. However, it was only in 2002 that he purchased the acres in Agua Dulce, with the intention of creating a small vineyard, producing ultrapremium wines for family and friends. The Reyes family planted the vineyard in 2004, and the first small crop of grapes was harvested in 2005. He and his wife, Rosa, currently live on the property.