Creating the Ultimate Charcuterie Board at Home

The amount of creativity we’ve seen from all of you during shelter in place is inspiring. You’re learning how to play games, learn new hobbies, and host happy hours without ever leaving home. Today we wanted to share with you one more thing you can learn to do from home: making a charcuterie board the next time you open your favorite bottle of Ruby Hill wine.

Cheese and charcuterie boards are a wine country must-have. Everyone loves a tasty snack, and an adequately provisioned board is the ultimate treat. Make one this weekend, at home, and layer it with your favorite savory, salty, and sweet foods. You may not be able to go to wine country, but you can bring wine country to you. Here are a few things you need:

Boards

First, find yourself a cutting board or plate to hold your goods. At Ruby Hill, we have custom wooden boards; we found that these are the most durable over time when cared for properly. You may also see slate or marble slabs, but you can use whatever you have at home, even if it’s just a beautiful big plate. The most important thing is that it holds all the snacks.

Cheeses

The variety of cheeses available to you depends on what your local grocer may carry but try to find at least one soft and one firm. Brie is always a popular choice, but we also love herby goat cheese and blue cheese. For firm cheeses, Grana Padano, aged white cheddar, and Manchego are among our favorites.

Our Ruby Hill Sparkling and 2016 Reserve Chardonnay are excellent pairings for brie-style cheeses. The 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with aged cheddar and parmesan.

Meats 

Salty meats are a great addition to your boards. Thin slices of prosciutto are perfect for dropping straight into your mouth. A firm sausage like salami or chorizo is a heartier option. If you want to add a little bit of luxury to your charcuterie board, consider a pate.

Cured meats will need a wine with a little bit of acid to cut through the fattiness, so red wine lovers should consider the 2016 Sangiovese. 

Fruits

To keep the board balanced, always include fresh and pickled foods. Fan some sliced strawberries, figs, or small bunches of grapes next to the cheese. Dried fruits such as dried apricots, dried cranberries also add a little bit of sweetness to the board.

Additional Accouterments

It wouldn’t be a cheeseboard without olives. Our most favorite is Castelvetrano Olives, which are meaty, have a buttery texture, and not as briny as other olives. Marinated olives are also a great option. Add fig jam or mustard to add to your crackers before you top them with your selected cheeses and meats.

And of course, you can’t forget the crackers or your bread, a.k.a. the meat and cheese delivery system. For those that are gluten-free, there are great cracker options made of rice flour or parmesan crisps.

What are your favorite treats to add to your charcuterie boards? Tag us in your wine-country-at-home charcuterie boards (@rubyhillwines)! 

Don't forget, if you're still in need of wine to go with your next cheese board moment, we're offering complimentary shipping on all orders. Stock up on your favorite Ruby Hill Wines!

St. Patrick's Day Recipes

 

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! While today would typically be a day full of lively parades and celebrations, due to the global health issue we’re experiencing, many of us are staying safe and staying in. The gift of this order is that many of us now have extra time to learn new skills, rediscover passions, and have quality time with family over a home-cooked meal.

Since we can’t share a glass with you in the tasting room, we thought we would share some of the recipes we will enjoy at home this week. If you are craving some St. Patrick’s Day bites, scroll down to find our favorite dishes and some Ruby Hill wines you can enjoy with them.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Corned Beef and Cabbage by Tyler Florence

Seasoned brisket and herbed root vegetables come together for this mouthwatering classic. This recipe takes quite a while to prepare, but we’ve got nothing but time. We recommend a wine that has enough acidity to cut through the fattiness of the brisket but won’t overpower the flavors such as our 2017 Ruby Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc or 2015 Ruby Hill Intesa.

Vegetable Sheperd’s Pie

For the vegetarians in the house, this recipe replaces the classic ground beef or lamb with crumbled vegetable burgers or your vegetarian protein of choice. Pair this dish with a wine that has balanced acidity and a little bit of spice. We like the 2017 Ruby Hill Jewel Collection Chardonnay or 2016 Ruby Hill Reserve Sangiovese.