Riverbed Red Osso Buco

Here in the Livermore Valley, spring is well on its way, but that hasn’t stopped a few cold snaps from taking us by surprise! Some evenings, we think it’s better to get cozy at home and prepare a hearty, comforting meal. If you have some time on your hands to make something special, then we recommend this recipe for Osso Buco in Red Wine sauce, written by food blogger The Crepes of Wrath. Of course, we’ll take just about any excuse to open up a bottle while we’re cooking, but this recipe has our mouths watering already! For this recipe, with its deep savory notes and rich, nourishing bone marrow, we recommend cooking and pairing with our Club-Member Exclusive Riverbed Red. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah, all grown here on our Estate. Let’s get cooking!

OSSO BUCO IN A RED WINE SAUCE
From The Crepes of Wrath

Ingredients

• 4 cuts of veal shanks (beef shanks will also work)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons duck fat (or butter)
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 1 carrots, finely minced
• 12 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste (tomato paste will also work)
• ⅛ teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 cup red wine - We recommend our 2018 Riverbed Red
• 2½ cups beef stock
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or any other fresh herbs, rosemary works well)
• Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Dry the meat with paper towels, then tie each shank with butcher’s twine once around, if you have it (note: if you don't have twine, they will probably fall apart a bit, but will still be delicious). Rub the meat with salt and pepper, then a light coat of dijon mustard. Dredge each piece of meat in flour, and set aside.
2. Choose a large pan, preferably oven safe with a lid. Add your duck fat (or butter) over medium-high heat. Place your veal in the pan and sear on all sides for about 4 minutes, until well browned. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of duck fat or butter. Add in the shallots and carrots and stir for 5 minutes over medium heat, until softened, then add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add in the curry or tomato paste, then the wine and stock and scrape up any browned bits. (Optional step: pour a glass of wine for yourself!)
4. Place the meat back in the pan, along with the sprigs of thyme. Place a lid on the pan and place in a 325 degree F oven for 2 to 2½ hours, until tender. Serve alongside some crusty bread and be sure to scrape out all of the bone marrow!

For our vegetarian friends, try out this recipe for Wild Mushroom Osso Buco full of savory and luxurious flavors, just like the version above. No matter which recipe you choose, feel cozy, comforted and nourished, and enjoy it all alongside a glass of exquisitely balanced Riverbed Red. Cheers!

Making this recipe? Let us know @rubyhillwines!

The Tale of Cuvée Dray

“This deep and plush wine boasts sultry oak spices like cinnamon, vanilla and wood smoke that layer through very ripe and delicious black-fruit flavors. Its moderate tannins lend good counterpoint to all the mellow richness of the flavors.”
JIM GORDON

The quote to the left, taken from a review by Wine Enthusiast’s Jim Gordon, speaks of the subtleties and allure of our beloved Cuvée Dray, a red wine blend that earned its place in our tasting room and left a mark on our hearts. Though crafted from finely vinified estate-grown fruit and reminiscent of a Bordeaux beauty, this critically acclaimed blend is more than just another wine. 

Cuvée Dray, named for our beloved winery dog, Draymond, has been a labor of love from its earliest conception. During the lockdowns of 2020, when we needed a way to look toward brighter days, a lot of us turned towards our pets for companionship. In them, we could find a break from the negativity happening around us. With some extra time on our hands and renewed love for our furry friends, an idea was born: a wine crafted that for every bottle sold, we would donate $10 to our friends at Valley Humane Society. 

Our Winemaker Jesse painstakingly crafted several blends with names inspired by our four-legged friend, and the blend and name "Cuvée Dray" were the winners. Soon, a label was designed, based on a picture of Draymond as a puppy in the vineyard. 

The next chapter, you may already know. After being released in both the Ruby Hill and Rubino Estates tasting rooms in August, the gorgeous wine and adorable bottle captured the palates and hearts of many. When this project started, our goal was to raise $20,000 for Valley Humane Society and their work to improve the lives of animals and the people who love them. We are proud to announce that through the sales of our 2019 vintage of Cuvée Dray, which sold out just weeks ago, we have raised and donated a grand total of $21,730 to the Valley Humane Society. We could not have done it without you! 

The good news for all the wine-lovers and dog-lovers out there: the Cuvée Dray will be coming back. The magic in the barrels will be bottled later this year, and we look forward to welcoming another vintage of Cuvée Dray back to the tasting room sometime this summer.

Give a Vibrant Valentine

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, you might be planning to get flowers or a box of chocolates for a special someone. As for us, we think that wine makes a great gift and can make for some lovely bonding time, especially if you share it over a romantic meal or decadent dessert. When you're buying flowers, it might be fun to think about the symbolism of each color as you do so. This extra touch may be just what wins over your significant other. Below, we dive into the meanings of these colors! 

Ruby Red

This hue is ubiquitous with love and the Valentine's Day holiday, fittingly representing qualities and emotions of courage, desire, respect, constancy, passion, and of course, romance. 

Pearlesque Pink

This pale, innocent color is another classic of Valentine's day, and is thought to represent love itself, gentleness, sentiment, and grace. 

Fiery Bronze

This shade may be third place in the Olympics, but it might be first place in your lover's heart as a symbol of optimism, cheerfulness, truth, and excitement.  

Shining Silver

This hue is representative of a wide range of meaning. In addition to glamor, pale silver may also communicate certain reverence, innocence, and clarity.  

Glittering Gold

A precious metal as well as a beloved color, gold represents celebration, luxury, pride and success. Gold is constant, reliable, and rare—perhaps similar to true love. 

Sapphire Blue 

Blue is the color of serenity, like a clear cerulean sky. This hue represents peace, openness, trust, and safety. 

If any of these meanings speak to your relationship with a special someone, we encourage you to theme your bouquet after that color—or better yet, pick a wine label that matches! The great news is, our Peacock Patch Zinfandel label comes in 7 colors, so you can pick your favorite.

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Ruby Hill Winery. 

Wine Words for Wordle

The deceptively simple online word game known as “Wordle”  has captured the attention of millions. Each day, a players work to solve a new mystery 5-letter word, with each player endowed with 6 guesses and hints along the way. A new puzzle is released each day, and for many it has become a daily challenge and treat. Following its public debut in November of 2021, Wordle has already risen to global popularity and has even been adapted to over 40 languages. Since we love to play games Ruby Hill style, it’s time to enjoy Wordle with words from the wine world! These words can be great for getting out of a rut, finding a new starting word, or eliminating extraneous vowels or consonants so you can find the solution you long for. 

Taste - an easy word to play, and an delicious pastime for wine

World - Do you prefer old-world or new-world style? How about unique combinations of consonants? 

Pinot - a French word accepted by Wordle because Pinot is too good to leave out.

Wines - a personal favorite word of ours, for obvious reasons. 

Viola - the Cielo Viola is a Club-member favorite, and we can’t resist one of those 3-vowel words.

Patch - the Peacock Patch is one of our most iconic wines, and this word is great for practicing consonant combinations. 

Oaken - the best kind of opening word is rich with vowels, and the best kind of wine barrel is an oaken one

Table - table wines are worth drinking, we promise. Life is too short to take too seriously.

Sweet - Dessert wine, anyone? Don’t be thrown off by double letters, they’re legal!

Grape - just another favorite of ours, along with the next one

Fruit - have you ever thought this word looks a little weird?

Yeast - this magic bacteria is responsible for fermentation, making wine possible--and has 3 vowels. 

Jewel - our Jewel Collection wines stand out from the crowd, and may help you pin down that pesky W.

Pours - a flight of 4 pours is good company for a relaxing afternoon

Petit - yet another French word adopted by the Wine World and the English language. Thank you, Petit Verdot!

Block - every vineyard block is unique, and you never know when a word like this might come in handy. 

Xylem - part of the system that moves nutrients through vines (and yes, this is a valid word in Wordle!)

Corks - are we the only ones thrown off by words with “k” in them?

Aroma - for figuring out where on earth the “a” might belong

Blend - a balanced wine, and a good way to narrow down the consonants you might use

Color - Do you drink red, rosé, or white? Are the squares green, yellow, or gray?

Blush - a beautiful color for wine, and maybe a reaction to missing the word--again

Press - double letters might be an extra challenge, but don’t feel too pressed to be perfect

Yield - a three-vowel word that also makes us think about how many tons of grapes were harvested this year

Silky - a great mouthfeel for a wine, and a good way to figure out consonant combination!

Chill - good instructions for drinking wines and for relaxing with today’s puzzle

Plonk - a fun, funky word for cheap wine that is perfect in your wordle repertoire.  

Light - whether it’s a light wine in color of body, we’re sure it pairs well with a Wordle. 

Break - bud break is one of the most exciting stages of growth in the vineyard.

Spicy - this word is nice to have around when the letter “c” and vowels are around, and when describing a zany red wine!

Heavy - a nice weight on the palate, and a nice way to use three vowels. 

Swirl - get a sense of the aroma and legs of your wine, and the placement of consonants in your word!

Will you incorporate these words into your strategy? We’d love to see how you do! Tag us @rubyhillwines