The joys of wine are multitudinous: sampling new tastes and aromas, sipping a favorite vintage in a beautiful setting with good company, or pairing a particular blend with a fine meal.

Wine is the great equalizer, joining conviviality and relaxation seamlessly. Scottish poet Robert Louis Stevenson once opined, Wine is bottled poetry.

If that is so, then Cannon Beach resident and North Coast wine representative Lisa Parks is a true bard of the grape.

As a wine representative, Parks sells wines to vendors along the Oregon Coast.

Growing up in Denver, Colo., Parks developed a love for Oregon wines. Oregon has such a fantastic national reputation for wine, she said. Anyone whos into wine at all has a favorite Oregon wine.

Despite her love of wine, Parks original calling was worlds apart from her current profession.

I got my bachelors degree in counseling from the University of Colorado in Denver, she said. Afterwards, I worked for the Aurora, Colo. Police Department as a victims advocate for six years. It was extremely intense.

Parks began looking around for something that would provide a much-needed professional change. While living in Denver, she attended the International Sommelier Program, something that had piqued her passion for wine even further.

It was a very comprehensive course, she said. It was definitely more difficult than anything I studied for my undergraduate degree.

Opportunity to make a change came knocking in the form of an Internet job posting on the North Oregon Coast.

I really needed something different, Parks said. I had reached the point where I wanted a job where people were happy to see me walk into a room, so I made the leap.

Parks settled into Cannon Beach and soon made the connection that would finally put her on her desired path.

The owner of Galaxy Wines made a lot of visits to Cannon Beach, she said. We both knew Dean Reiman, the former owner of the Wine Shack. Galaxy had been looking to get a full-time representative on the North Coast, and Dean put a good word in for me.

Now, Parks works as North Coast wine sales representative for Galaxy Wine Company, a Portland-based importer, wholesaler and distributor of premium wines. On Galaxys behalf, she covers territory ranging from Astoria to Neskowin.

The bulk of my accounts are in Cannon Beach and Manzanita, she said. But I put around 2,000 to 3,000 miles a month on my car. I keep Garys Service Station on speed dial.

Parks accounts include area restaurants, specialty wine shops, grocery stores and upscale marketplaces. She takes pride in her ability to know exactly what each customers particular needs are and in making them feel comfortable with their selections.

I do a little bit of everything for my customers, Parks said. Each account has unique needs, and I try to cater to specific requests like wine pairing with menu items. Ive done wine tastings and held informal classes for customers. I enjoy the many different aspects.

Besides an impressive array of wines from desirable vintners in Oregon, Washington and California, Parks also sells wines from around the world: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany and more.

Thats one of the most exciting things, she said. There are so many good wines out there from different places.

Despite the wide variety of wines to choose from, Parks always remembers the original love of Oregon wines that drew her to the North Coast.

Oregon is a great place for wine, not only in terms of varieties, but the people. Everyone is so knowledgeable and eager to share what they know.

Still, there are a few other favorites that Parks enjoys sharing. I really love champagne, she said. Its fun to get people talking and drinking good champagne. I also have a passion for French wines. Many of them are very similar to Oregon wines.

Above all, Parks is not only grateful for being able to pursue her dream job, but to do it on the North Coast.

I get to talk about and sell wine and drive along the ocean every day, she said. I hear about sales reps in other areas where the work is so intense, and I just cant imagine that. I have the best customers, and they are all my friends.

Though her family still resides in Denver, Parks loves everything about living in Cannon Beach.

This town has a real sense of community, she said. I get to walk to most of my accounts here and am always running into someone I know along the way. Its like a family.