Celebrate National Red Wine Day with Ruby Hill!

It's National Red Wine Day and as we head into fall, a glass of red wine sounds mighty fine. While we love all wines, at this time of year, the reds win us over. They are great matches for the heartier meals we enjoy during harvest season. 

Here are a few of our favorite red wines for National Red Wine Day.

Our Favorite Red Wines for National Red Wine Day

 

2016 Ruby Hill Peacock Patch Zinfandel - 92 Points, Wine Enthusiast

The aromas are dense with varied fruit, such as cherries, dried cranberries, dates, raspberries, figs, and plums. On the palate, the tannins are very smooth. A little bit of vanilla from the oak peaks through along with a hint of black pepper. This wine has a mild body with fruit flavors lingering on the finish. Pairs nicely with bold-flavored foods like BBQ, pizza, and stews.

 

2017 Ruby Hill Cielo Viola

A jammy and fruit-forward wine, the nose reveals plums, sweet cherries, milk chocolate, and raspberry. The flavors on the palate mirror the aromas, offering a mouthful of vibrant fruit. The mouthfeel is mid-weight and smooth with well-integrated tannins and a long finish. The flavor adds to the fruit character with notes of milk chocolate. Pait with Roasted beet salad, rosemary, and pepper-crusted pork tenderloin or chocolate mousse with raspberries.

 

2017 Ruby Hill Sangiovese

The nose is bright, full of cherry and strawberry aromas with mild hints of oak and vanilla flavors. This wine has a very robust mouthfeel and a smooth texture with a lingering finish focused on vanilla notes. Pairs beautifully with tomato-based dishes, and lighter to medium fare cuisine.

 

Tag us on social @rubyhillwines and celebrate National Red Wine Day with us!

 

Red Wine BBQ Sauce

Across the state of California, we're experiencing an unprecedented heatwave and we're doing our part to conserve energy as we can. Thankfully, it was already grilling season so we were prepared to be doing even more outdoor cooking. Granted, the smoke in the air is a little challenging, but a protein like chicken legs or pork tenderloin cooks easily and quickly. 

For the remainder of August, we're offering a curated 6-pack featuring 2 bottles each of some of our winemaker's favorite red wines. We love this combination of wines that showcase the variety of styles of red wines we are able to craft from our estate vineyards. This weekend, we're trying a new bbq sauce recipe. Though the original recipe from Food and Wine Magazine calls for Pinot Noir, we think the Grapeful Red from the Winemaker's Selection case special would be a great substitute. Tag us on social media @rubyhillwines and let us know what you think! 

 

Red Wine BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

•  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup Ruby Hill 2017 Grapeful Red
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 12 mixed chicken drumsticks and thighs

Directions  

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the ketchup, wine, sugar, chipotle and mustard. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat, then simmer over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.  
2. Heat grill to medium-high or, if using the oven, preheat the oven to 425°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and put a baking rack on it. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and put on the rack. Cook, until the skin is lightly browned. Brush the chicken with some of the sauce and roast for 40 minutes longer, turning and basting every 10 minutes, until nicely glazed and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest piece registers 165°. Transfer to a platter and serve.

*Your sauce can be saved in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

Ready to grab the Winemaker's Selection? You can shop for pickup or delivery. We are open for curbside pickup 7 days a week from 11:00 am - 5:30 pm.

Introducing Our New Club Referral Program

We're excited to announce our new club member referral program!

We believe that wine is meant to be shared with those you love, so we created a unique offering for you to share more of what you love about being a club member at Ruby Hill Winery.

Starting August 10, 2020, you have the opportunity to earn 500 Bonus Grape Rewards Loyalty Points for each new friend that joins the club. There are no limits on how many people you can refer - just make sure that your friend mentions your name to the wine ambassador when they sign up. Both you and your friend will receive 500 Bonus Grape Rewards Loyalty Points, which will be deposited into your account within 7 days. 

*Offer is valid for current club members and we kindly ask that new club members be in good standing and receive at least one club shipment; otherwise, bonus points may be deducted from your account. 

If you are not yet a club member, you can learn more about our club options here. Those interested in joining the club can join at the tasting room 7 days a week from 11:00am-5:30pm or may call the winery directly at 925-931-9463.

 

Keeping Up in the Vineyard with Jesse

 

It's August, and we are counting down to harvest! 

We started to see signs of veraison in the vineyard almost two weeks ago, but as you can see, the black grape clusters are developing more and more color, the green grapes start to take on a translucent quality. What, exactly, is veraison? The official definition of veraison is the "change of color of the grape berries," however, when we talk about veraison, we are also talking about the onset of ripeness in the berries as well. 

This week, the viticulture team is moving through the vineyards and dropping fruit. What does it mean to "drop fruit?"  It is a vineyard practice where some of the fruit is cut away from the vine so that it can focus its energy on ripening grapes and maintain optimum concentration of flavor in the grapes. Let our winemaker, Jesse Plautz, take you on a little tour of the vineyard for an explanation of the process and why it is so important.

Let us hope that mother nature continues to offer us favorable weather as we press on toward harvest!