Bigger and Better: All About Magnum Wines

June 2022 is our month to celebrate magnum wine bottles, the grandiose double-bottle beauties that every cellar needs! Magnums are more than a bigger bottle, they offer delicious benefits unique to this format, enticing the senses and elevating your wine experience with flavor and flair. 

The Specs:

A magnum wine bottle is exactly double the volume of a standard bottle and can weigh in around 6 pounds. One standard bottle is 750 milliliters, while magnum bottles are 1.5 liters (1500 milliliters). If this is the case, why not just purchase 2 standard bottles? Simply put, magnums have more to offer than sheer lavish volume. 

The Quality:

The moment wine comes in contact with oxygen, a simple chemical process known as oxidation occurs. Every wine bottle has a minute quantity of air trapped inside due to the bottling process, but larger formats like magnums have less oxygen relative to the quantity of wine. This slows down oxidation, maintaining rich quality and aiding in proper maturation.  

The Future:

Magnums are ideally suited for aging for a future occasion. Steady maturation helps the wine reach its prime and stay there for years. Magnums also have the practical advantage of being more resistant to temperature fluctuations that could threaten wine quality because the higher volume takes longer to warm or cool.  

The Rarity:

Magnums themselves are a collectible item, especially from a local estate vineyard like Ruby Hill Winery. Only a few magnums of select vintages are ever produced, and each one is hand bottled by our winemaker’s team. Not only do they make excellent additions to private collections, they are also a great choice for generous gifts.

The Grandeur:

Bring out one of these beauties at an elegant wedding, milestone anniversary, or beautiful holiday celebration, and it fits right in! These impressive bottles hold their own and command just the right amount of attention with their opulent presence and luxurious quality. 

Don’t miss out on our special-priced magnums during Magnum Month! Call us at (925) 931-9463 to hear more about our deals and order now. Our Magnums can sell out fast so act now.  

If you want more, consider joining our Magnum Club. Enjoy all of the perks of being a Diamond Wine Club member, but receive an allotment of 2 magnums each quarter! You can learn more or sign up in the tasting room anytime.

Pairing Vegetables and Wine

Wine and food pairing can seem like a daunting task, but we promise it doesn’t have to be! There’s no loss when you simply drink what you enjoy with the foods that you enjoy, but if you’re looking for special combinations that do favors for both the dish and the drink, we're here for you. 

Meals with multiple elements offer flexibility when it comes to pairing. Often, the wine is chosen based on what pairs best with the protein element, such as Cabernet Sauvignon with steak or Chardonnay with chicken. Seasonings like garlic, lemon, or herbs as well as preparations like grilling or stir-frying also play a role in what wine will truly make the food shine.

This week, we are thinking outside of the box to provide pairings based on the vegetable elements of your meal.  After all, we can all use some delicious veggies in our lives, especially if they come with a harmonious glass of wine!

Pairing Bell Peppers with Sangiovese

For this pairing, we are oven-roasting red, yellow, and orange bell peppers in a bit of olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper and finishing with a quick broil until just barely charred. These colorful beauties release just a bit of sweetness and complement the profile of our beautiful bright red Sangiovese.

Pairing Zucchini with Sauvignon Blanc

For most green vegetables, Sauvignon Blanc is an easy go-to. We like to spiralize zucchini and very lightly sauté the zucchini “noodles” in garlic-infused butter, then season with lemon juice and fresh herbs. The fresh, light flavors are perfect for airing with the simple golden beauty of our Sauvignon Blanc.

Pairing Cabbage with Cabernet Sauvignon

This pairing may seem to come out of left field, but it comes down to preparation. Finely shredded cabbage, red or green, makes a toothsome, flavor-packed meal when braised with high-quality fat (such as duck fat) and joined by pancetta or bacon. Trust us, it’s hearty enough to harmonize with our Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pairing Broccoli with Chardonnay

We love a well-seasoned pan of roasted broccoli. Easy to make and even easier to eat, these nutrient-packed florets offer flavor that flourished alongside an unctuous Chardonnay. Our oak-aged Reserve Chardonnay compliments the natural flavors without being overpowering.

Pairing Brussels Sprouts with Zinfandel

This particular vegetable is known for being a tricky component for wine pairings. Aside from Sauvignon Blanc, many wines are not exceptionally compatible with this lovely veggie. However, for this pairing, we’re busting out the fryer (or air fryer) for some crispy-yet-tender bites, and seasoning with a balsamic reduction perfect with our Peacock Patch Zinfandel.

Pairing Asparagus with a Red Blend

Barbecue season is upon us, so for this pairing we are grilling marinated asparagus for a lovely char and enjoying it alongside a glass of our Grapeful Red. This wine is a pairing artist, and will also go phenomenally with burgers, sausages, and anything else that comes off the grill. Take it easy!

What's your favorite pairing? Let us know @rubyhillwines. 

Ruby Hill Vineyard Update

In the vineyard, the time of year is a time of transition. From blossoms to berries and proliferation to pruning, the vines are busy!

Our winemaker Jesse is carefully monitoring this crucial stage, keeping an eye on the health of the vines and their transition from blossom to berry, referred to as "fruit set."

Weather conditions this year have been beneficial for the vines. Tendrils like these reach out from the rows of each vineyard block, voracious and verdant. 

We have seen exuberant growth all across the estate, including the little patch of Zinfandel right in front of our tasting room. 

Our vines have sent out shoots and leaves for months, gaining gorgeous green volume. Soon, we will begin the process of leafing, in which some of the leafy canopy is removed so that the young fruit can be exposed to the sunlight. 

The Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc fruit benefit even more from sun exposure than any other varietal. Sunlight is a key ingredient in allowing the fruit to express itself in our final product. 

In some spots in the vineyard, you can still spot the remnants of the blossoming stage, but we are delighted to see the developments with fruit set throughout the estate. 

This important development into little clusters has been accomplished, giving us a glimpse of what the 2022 harvest will hold later this year. These clusters won't be tiny for long, so stay tuned!

Want to get up close and personal with the Estate Vineyard yourself? Take a ride with our MCVE tour and see it like never before!

National Cheese Day with Ruby Hill Winery

        Did you know that June 4th is National Cheese day? It’s time to celebrate the true royalty of the dairy family, the deliciously versatile goodness that is cheese. To commemorate this excellently cheesy holiday, we asked a handful of our tasting room staff what their favorite combinations were so we can put together a guide of pairing all-stars that will have your tastebuds dancing every time. Exquisite cheeses and elegant wines? Sign us up!

Sandi - Sparkling Wine & Tennessee Whiskey BellaVitano.

Both members of this pairing are your allies when you want a delicious combination. Sparkling Wine is friendly to flavors of all kinds and few cheeses pair with a wider range of wines than BellaVitano. 
 

Paul - Intesa & Chevre

Our Club-Exclusive blends offer some of the very best pairing potential with their layered flavor dynamics. We recommend a truffle-infused chevre goat cheese with this beloved blend of Cabernet and Barbera. 

 

Olivia - Reserve Sauvignon Blanc & Buttery Chive Plant-Based Cheese

This option is a perfect go-to for a golden sip of summertime, suited for anyone who appreciates a good pairing and prefers to avoid animal products. This elegantly flavorful cheese is made from cashews and is 100% vegan.
 

Ami - Jewel Petit Verdot &  Bleu Cheese

If this pairing is a little outside of your comfort zone, then prepare to be blown away by the harmony of flavors. This pairing strikes an unforgettable balance and will have you reaching for more!
 

Karen - Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon & Sharp Aged Cheddar

Our Reserve Cabernet is a tried-and true quintessential favorite, and this pairing makes it shine all the more. Choose your favorite bold cheddar to enjoy alongside the rich party of tannin and flavor.
 

Jeanne S - Sparkling Wine & Manchego 

Further proving the reliability of Sparkling Wine, the creamy, salty-sweet dynamics of manchego shine alongside crisp bubbles. This combination is clean and simple: nibble, sip repeat. 
 

Diane - Grapeful Rosé & Burrata

This combination is especially appropriate now that the weather is warming up. Enjoy the floral aroma and crisp profile of our iconic Rosé with the fresh creaminess of a lush buttery burrata.
 

Sue - Jewel Cabernet Sauvignon & Black Pepper BellaVitano

Black pepper is a Cabernet’s best friend, and this is no exception. We are so delighted to have welcomed a new vintage of Jewel Cab to the tasting room that it’s a wonder anything could improve it, but this cheese completes the picture magnificently.

        Here at Ruby Hill, cheese is the penultimate companion of wine (step aside, chocolate). When sweets just won’t do, savory is here for you. Come visit our team in the tasting room and enjoy pairings like these straight from the source! Our deli case is stocked with delicious snacks and the wine is always ready to flow!