Accessories to Dye For

If you’re a long-time fan of Ruby Hill Winery, you’re probably familiar with our family of Grapeful wines. With our delightfully drinkable Grapeful Red, crisp Grapeful White, and the newest addition of Grapeful Rosé, we’re here to remind everyone that life’s too short to take too seriously. Inspired by the iconic fan-made merchandise of the Grateful Dead, our Grapeful Red label and t-shirts are a colorful reminder of good times. This week, we’ve been encouraged by our lively label to look for some options for home tie-dye projects, beyond the classic t-shirts.

 

Tie-dye napkins

Napkins are a lovely way to add a pop of color to any table setting. These jazzy napkins use an ice-dye technique for a subdued look, but the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. 

 

 

Tie-dyed beach blanket

Whether you bring it to the beach or plan a backyard picnic, this blanket is a perfect blank canvas for artistic creativity. Choose colors inspired by summer and get ready for some time in the sunshine!

 

 

Tie-dyed socks

Whether you show them off with the classic "socks and sandals" look or prefer to keep it subtle, these socks are lively and bright. Live in technicolor and spread some smiles with this simple DIY project. 

 

 

Tie-dyed shoes

These shoes are a great summer craft and require only some basic household materials. These colorful kicks use permanent markers, making them perfectly customizable to your taste!

 

 

Tie-dye tote bag

I'f you're looking for a fashionable multipurpose tote, look no further than a simple cotton bag. Perfect for books, groceries, and everything in between, a splash of color adds a dose of fun. 

 

If you're interested in any of these projects, click the photos for step-by-step tutorials for each creation! A multitude of dyeing methods can be found across the internet, from classic spirals, to ice dyeing, to tie-dyeing with bleach. No matter the method, every tie-dyed piece is unique to the creator and can’t be replicated. This summer is a perfect time to pop open a bottle of your favorite Grapeful wine and rock a psychadelic kaleidoscope of one-of-a-kind tie-dye accessories.

If you’re looking for fresh and crisp, take a look at our Spring White Wine mixed case, on sale for just a few more days. It features our Grapeful White and Grapeful Rosé, as well as Sauvignon Blanc and Reserva Chardonnay!

How to Bee Kind this Earth Month

In recognition of Earth Day, we wanted to take some time to recognize the underappreciated labor of our hardworking pollinator friends. This week, we’re looking into the work done by pollinating insects and animals, helping to keep our planet beautiful, upholding ecosystems, and producing natural resources. Grapevines, our favorite crop, are what is called a self-pollinating plant—they need only wind to fertilize and reproduce. If our vines don’t need the help of bees or other pollinators, why is the health of these creatures so important to us? 

The short answer is simply that the beauty and fertility of our estate as a whole, depends on fruitful pollination. In order for our soil to have all of the nutrients it needs for luscious vines (which make luscious wines) we need a rich collection of other plants in and around our vineyards. Our estate boasts flowers, shrubs, and trees of many kinds, including regal rose bushes, fragrant rosemary, and citrus and pepper trees, all of which provide food for bees. Additionally, the grasses and flowering clumps that the bees nourish on the estate provide a home for predatory insects which do the noble work of preying on insects and parasites that would otherwise prey on the grapevines. Some bees also boost pollen yields and fruitfulness in grapevines by removing the pollen-containing caps of grapevine flowers. When bees and other pollinators are able to function at their best, so is our estate! 

Plan Bee: How to Help Boost Pollinator Health in Your Backyard

Prioritize your garden – Home gardens do attract pollinators! In fact, some research has shown that urban and suburban gardens have more pollinator diversity than nearby wildlands. 

Go for a colorful landscape – Choosing a spectrum of colors is beautiful and helps expand the flowering season. 

Use native plants in home gardening – By choosing native plants you’ll attract and support a range of busy bees and meet the needs of native wildlife. 

Tolerate a little mess – It’s okay to leave dead snags, some leaf litter, and even some bare patches. Helpful ground nesting insects will thank you! A few weeds also provide food for pollinators

Support Farmers and Beekeepers – purchase local honey and locally produced organic foods. Farmers Market, here we come!

Though self-pollinating crops are more self-sustaining, at least 80% of the world’s crop species require pollination to live. It’s estimated that at least one out of every three bites of food (in addition to ½ of the world’s oils, fibers and raw materials) was made possible by the direct work of a pollinator. In the US alone, honeybees are responsible for between 1.2 and 5.4 billion dollars of agricultural productivity. We need pollinators, and they might just need us to give them a hand.

Wine Tasting from A to Z

Here at Ruby Hill Winery, we love to make wine tasting enjoyable and approachable for everyone. To help achieve that goal, we've put together a list, from A to Z, of a few of the words you might hear around the winery. What does it mean to call a wine "hollow" or to look at it's "legs"? Read on to discover (or review) some of the ABCs of wine tasting!

Astringency - a description of the feeling of wine in the mouth. An astringent wine will cause your mouth to pucker.

Body - a description of how “big” or heavy the wine feels in the mouth, usually described as full, medium, or light. 

Cuvée - a wine that is a blend of multiple varietals. Cuvée is also a description used to describe certain French sparkling wines. 

Dry - a wine with little to no sweetness. Dryness corresponds to the level of residual sugar, and may also be emphasized in wines with a higher alcohol content. 

Earthy - a wine with notes that are reminiscent of soil or other such aromas. The opposite of earthy is fruit-forward.

Flabby - a negative term for wine with little acidity and therefore no structure. Flabby may also describe sparkling wines that have gone “flat” and lost effervescence.   

GSM - the initials of a famous Rhône-style wine which incorporates Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvédre into a well-assembled blend. 

Hollow - a wine with flavor sensations at the beginning and finish, but lacking in the middle. Usually, hollow wines fall short due to a lack of fruitiness. 

Imperial - a very large bottle of wine containing 6 liters of wine. This bottle, also called a “Methuselah,” holds the equivalent of 8 standard bottles. 

Jeroboam - a large-format wine bottle similar to the Imperial, the Jeroboam is slightly smaller, holding 4.5 liters or 6 standard bottles. 

Kabinett - a German winemaking term that indicated quality wine made from the main harvest and set aside for later sale, similar to the term “Reserve” in English. 

Legs - a word to refer to the streaks of wine on the inside of the glass after swirling. Generally, prominent legs indicate a higher alcohol content.

Mid Palate - a term to refer to the “middle flavor” of wine, right between the first hit on the tongue and the finish after you swallow. 

Nose - a term for the first impression made through the wine’s aroma. Smelling your wine is referred to as “nosing” in some circles. 

Oaky - a family of flavors infused into wine by the oak barrels used for aging. Oaky flavors include vanilla, s’mores, butterscotch, and toast.

Primeur - a tasting that takes place straight from the barrel, before the wine has completed its aging process. In English-speaking countries this is also called a “Futures Tasting.” 

QPR - an acronym meaning “Quality-Price Ratio.” An incredible wine at an affordable price will have a high QPR. 

Riche - a French term used to refer to a very sweet wine, used especially to describe sweet sparkling wine. 

Silky - a term used to describe wines that feel soft in the mouth, generally with mild levels of acid and tannins. 

Texture - a tactile factor of wine usually described by how a wine feels in the mouth. Words like smooth, velvety, crisp, or steely are all textural descriptors. 

Unctuous - a positive descriptor for wines which are particularly weighty and rich or have a pleasantly full viscosity. 

Vintage - an indication of the year a wine’s grapes were harvested, usually stated before the varietal, such as “2016 Petite Sirah.”

Wine Tasting - an enjoyable experience of evaluating wine with all the senses, engaging scents, sights, textures, flavors and more. 

Xylem - a part of a grapevine’s structural anatomy that allows water and minerals to be carried from the root system out through the plant. 

Young - a wine that has not had a great deal of time to mature. Some wines are pleasant while young, whilst most need longer periods to age. 

Zymology - the science of fermentation, the biochemical process that turns nonalcoholic substances into something delicious.  

Hopefully, you're feeling confident and adventurous with these words in mind. Come by the tasting room to see if you can spot any of these descriptions in the wines you enjoy—and impress your friends with your skill! If you have a favorite wine word we missed, let us know on social media @rubyhilllwines.

Read, Drink, and Be Merry!

These days, there’s something to celebrate every day—but we’re not complaining! We love to appreciate the little things and take some time to celebrate the things we love. April 12th is known as national “Drop Everything and Read” Day or “D.E.A.R.” Day, so we’ve decided to pair some classic novels with delicious wines. This one is for all of our wine-loving bookworms!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen with Reserve Petite Sirah

We’ve paired this Jane Austen classic with our award-winning Reserve Petite Sirah. The smooth sips will accompany you perfectly through the Bennet Family’s drama, with bold flavors pairing up with bold characters. In the end, this comedy of manners is all about finding love, which is exactly how we feel when we open a bottle of our Petite Sirah. 
 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee with Jewel Petit Verdot

This story is a masterpiece designed to make the reader think. Enjoy this complex and poignant book that interfaces with justice, bias, and compassion alongside the complex bouquet and rounded structure of our Petit Verdot. Both the book and the wine are beautiful in their intricacy, linger on in your mind, and will remain enjoyable for years to come. 
 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald with Sparkling Wine

Of course, we’ll be popping open a bottle of sparkling for this book! There’s nothing quite like a bottle of sparkling to turn a reading nook into a tiny world of luxury. Let the bubbles transport you to the glittering grandeur of Gatsby’s mansion or to the poshness of the Plaza Hotel. Either way, it’s bright and lovely, a perfect match for the glitz of 1920s Long Island.

 

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis with Reserve Chardonnay

With this combination, you can feel the beauty of a harmonious ensemble! Enjoy a symphony of pleasant flavors alongside a cast of colorful characters. While there isn’t too much secret magic behind the rich body of our Chardonnay, it’s always perfect with a flourish of whimsical adventure. 

 

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll with Armonia Lot #10

Much like Alice’s adventures, our Club-exclusive Armonia Lot #10 stands out as a unique and perhaps unexpected blend. Our Armonia brings together not only multiple varietals, but also multiple vintages into its harmonious blend. The rich layering of the wine stands up perfectly with the surreal and even nonsensical events of the story.
 

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas with Peacock Patch Zinfandel

This colorful story, dense with adventure, fortune, and revenge is a rich companion for a generous glass of Peacock Patch Zin. These Zinfandel grapes are grown in a gravely block of the vineyard which causes the flavor to concentrate, in turn creating a superb wine. The Count’s story is much the same, allowing his story's rocky start to lead to wealth and strength. 
 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain with Riverbed Red

Though the namesake riverbed of this Club-exclusive blend has long since been dry, we still love a glass of this wine as we join Huck Finn and Jim on the Mississippi. Lively fruit notes of wild blueberry match the liveliness of Huckleberry himself, and both the wine and the story finish delightfully.

 

If classic novels aren’t your style, choose whatever you like! Choose the genre you want, your favorite chair or sofa, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy a touch of escapism. If you have plans for D.E.A.R. Day, we'd love to be a part of them! Let us know @rubyhillwines.

 

Easter Brunch with Ruby Hill Wines

No matter how you celebrate Easter, it's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the arrival of the season. Personally, we're hoping the Easter Bunny will leave some bottles of wine alongside his chocolate eggs this year, perhaps some Rosé or bubbly to get us in the mood for spring. No matter how you observe this holiday, it's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the arrival of this season and time with your family. If you're curious about the best pairings for classic Easter dishes, fear not! We've hunted down the best pairings for some of our favorite spring specialties to make your Easter brunch, lunch or dinner the best it can be. 

Classic Deviled Eggs 
• Sparkling Wine

While this combination might seem like a no-brainer for hors d'oeuvres, it's important to get it right. The sulfur in eggs may take over the palate unless the wine is just right. The richness and saltiness of the deviled eggs is beautifully complimented by the acidity and brightness of the sparkling wine, making you and your guests reach for more. Make sure your Sparkling is well chilled, and enjoy! 

 

Cheesy Baked Asparagus 
• Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 

Asparagus can pose a challenge for wine pairings, but the presence of the cheese in this preparation is a game-changer. Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect compliment for this marriage of cheese and asparagus, since the unique flavor profile of the Sauvignon Blanc stands up to the asparagus remarkably well, and the creaminess of the cheese is complemented delightfully by the balanced acid of the wine. 

 

Spring Blossom Fruit Salad
• Grapeful Rosé

Enjoy the wealth of peach, plum, and apricot notes in this aromatic Rosé alongside your favorite fruit salad. We recommend experimenting with farmers-market fresh spring fruits or early summer stone fruit. Fresh mint or a light dressing with a hint of honey and citrus can elevate your fruit salad. This fresh and inviting dish is (almost) as good as dessert, and it's the perfect way to properly savor the arrival of spring. 

 

Maple Glazed Ham
• Jewel Zinfandel

This festive dish is the perfect marriage of sweet, salty, and savory. This harmony of flavors is complemented by the food-friendly acidity and notes of jammy sweetness and mixed spice in our Jewel Zinfandel. The glaze on this ham caramelizes perfectly, integrating flavors for perfect harmony with our carefully crafted Zin. This wine is fresh on the palate, robust in flavor, and beautiful in color. In short: it's perfect for celebrations. 

 

Carrot Cake
• Reserve Chardonnay

On Easter Sunday, there's no finale quite like a delicious carrot cake with decadent vanilla cream cheese frosting. As long as it isn't carried off by the Easter Bunny himself, this cake is set to impress. Allow the spices of the cake and the creamy tang of the frosting to meld with the smooth richness of our flavorful, critically-acclaimed Chardonnay, and drift off into springtime euphoria—and perhaps a food coma too!

Happy Easter from all of us here at Ruby Hill Winery! 
If we've helped inspire your Easter menu, we'd love to know! Tag us @Rubyhillwines.