9 Fresh Recipes for Springtime

The signs of spring have descended upon the Estate, bringing irresistible freshness and a sense of complete renewal. We can’t get enough! This week, we were inspired by the crisp and pristine joy of spring to collect a few luscious recipes that celebrate the refreshing newness of this season. These entrees, mains, and desserts pair well with our favorite springtime wines, including lush white wines, lively rosé, and lighter reds.

Appetizers

Asparagus Bundles - by Delish

These little beauties marry garden produce with comforting flavors, since we still have rainy days in spring! We can’t get enough of these perfectly balanced bites. 

Herbed Deviled Eggs - by Umami Girl

It wouldn’t be springtime without some deviled eggs. Elevate this classic dish with fresh herbs to make a new Easter celebration staple!

Ham & Cheese Spinach Puffs - by Delish

These perfect little puffs bring a perfect combination of savory, salty, and creamy for a super satisfying and delightful morsel.

Mains

Roasted Salmon with Spring Vegetables - by Food and Wine

Sheet pan dinners simplify your evening, and with a recipe like this you will not feel like you are compromising. Versatile and nutritious! 

Chicken Tzatziki - by Taste of Home

Another wholesome meal, this recipe offers a great balance of simplicity and satisfaction. You can customize the tzatziki to your flavor preferences, and put it on anything you like!

Mafaldine Pasta with Pea Shoot & Lemon Pesto - by Food and Wine

This vegetarian pasta bursts with all the best verdant freshness you could hope for. Frankly, we’re excited for any scratch-made pesto, and this is no exception. 

Dessert

Lemon Blueberry Tart - by Sally’s Baking Recipes 

If you’re never made a tart before, now is the time. The zip of lemon mixed with delectable blueberries will have you ready for another slice!

Pineapple Whip - by The Pioneer Woman

This soft-serve-like dessert has us longing for summer already! We find that it pairs perfectly with the tropical notes in our favorite white wines, so it’s never too early for this pineapple whip. 

Lemon Ricottta Cookies - by Sally’s Baking Recipes 

It’s hard to say no to a cookie like this. Fluffy and irresistible, these resemble madeleines and bring a perfect melt-in-your-mouth sensation. These can also be made with orange in place of lemon!

This weekend is you last chance to get our delicious Fumé Blanc at a discount! This refreshing white wine is perfect for springtime, so don't miss out.

Pruning and Preparation: A Vineyard Update

If you look out into the estate vineyard this time of year, it might not look like much. The branches are bare, the vines from last season are pruned away, and all signs of leaves and fruit are long gone. However, though dormancy is dreary on the outside, marvelous things are happening. Scroll through this gallery, taking a virtual walk with us as we ponder what makes this season special.

As winter gives way to spring, the vineyard begins to come to life.

The telltale signs of springtime are starting to reach out over the estate, sprouting blossoms, blooms, and brightness. 

Lively splashes of color replace the dull tones of winter, providing just a hint of the vibrance to come. 

The faithful pattern of steady drizzle and dazzling sunshine sets us up for a fruitful and nurtured season. 

The rain makes everything lush and sparkly, the perfect complement to the sunshine that follows.

All of our vines, young and old, revel in these generous showers!

The next phase of the growing season is bud break, but some of our vines will remain dormant longer than others. 

After pruning, the vine will pull nutrients from the roots to flow through the whole plant. A keen eye on a sunny day may notice glistening droplets of sap falling from newly pruned branches. 

In preparation for the growing season, you may see that the branches are tied along wires in neat rows. This helps distribute the leafy growth, allowing the plant to catch as much sunshine as possible when the time comes.

After pruning and before the growth of leafy canopy, you can easily see the row-by-row layout which shows the organized nature of the vineyard to allow for optimal care.

The whole estate is excited to welcome springtime!

Come visit the estate and savor the beauty of this season. As always, we’re open seven days a week for indoor and outdoor wine tasting. Cheese!

 

2024 Case Sale Blitz

This Weekend Only - March 9th & 10th Our 2024 Case Sale Blitz is almost here! In this blog, you’ll find the juicy details on wines that we will feature in this year’s sale. Additional wines may make a surprise appearance, available in very limited supply, so don't miss out! More information about the event can be found at the bottom of this post. 

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon - Riserva Collection, Rubino Estates Winery

This wine was awarded Double Gold in the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and offers richly plush notes of black cherry, blackberry, and dark chocolate. The quintessential wine for a delicious steak dinner. We selected this vintage of Riserva Cabernet from the library and fell in love with the maturity and full-bodied nature of the tannin, with integrated roundness and just the right amount of ripeness. 
Case Blitz Price: $210 | Member’s Price: $185

2018 Trebbiano - Rubino Estates Winery

This light and crisp varietal is a traditional Italian white wine. It is exceptionally prevalent in the old world, but a rare find here in California. A graceful yet subtle profile features notes of tart apple, white peach, orange blossom, and stone. On the palate, it is dry and delicate with pleasant food-friendly acidity, smooth sippable mouthfeel, and mild minerality. Pair with raw oysters with lemon or vinegar, fine white fish in lemon and butter sauce, summery pasta dishes, or uramaki sushi.
Case Blitz Price: $100 | Member’s Price: $75

2019 Ferrario - Famiglia Collection, Rubino Estates Winery

Velvety and elegant, each sip dances with jammy fruit and playful baking spice, all on a rich backdrop of floral accents. This wine is a club-exclusive blend, named in honor of Ernest Ferrario. Ferrario was an Italian immigrant and the proprietor of the Estate Vineyard from 1921-1975. By the mid-twentieth century, the Ferrario family was well-known for their quality wines, especially their Zinfandel. This blend honors the Ferrarios by combining Barbera—an Italian varietal, and Zinfandel—Ferrario’s specialty. The 2019 vintage components are 43% Zinfandel, 29% Barbera, 14% Merlot, and 14% Petit Verdot. 
Case Blitz Price: $225 | Member’s Price: $200

2017 Petite Sirah - Reserve Collection, Ruby Hill Winery

This excellent Reserve Petite Sirah comes highly recommended, scoring 92 points by Wine Enthusiast. Jim Gordon, critic for Wine Enthusiast, summarized this bold beauty as such: “Big and opulent, this full-bodied wine is jam-packed with indulgent, ripe blackberry and blueberry flavors and braced with tons of fine-grained tannins for a mouthfilling and smooth texture.” You can expect tannin-endowed wines like these to only improve with age, so it’s the perfect time to open that 2017 and get lost in the luxury of each sip. 
Case Blitz Price: $150 | Member’s Price: $125

2019 Cabernet Sauvignon - Reserve Collection, Ruby Hill Winery

Also awarded 92 points by Wine Enthusiast, this wine continues our reputation for phenomenal Cabernet. Multi-layered flavors include the dark fruit notes you can expect, including blackberry, black plum, black cherry, and cassis. Astute wine lovers can also search the aroma and flavors for accents of star anise, earthy forest floor, meaty umami, cedar, and a touch of sweet tobacco. Unctuous and smooth, this wine is perfect with a wide range of foods, and can be enjoyed now or for many years to come. 
Case Blitz Price: $210 | Member’s Price: $185

Our Case Sale Blitz is our annual warehouse clear-out event, offering delicious wines at unbeatable prices so we can make room for the wines of the future! This event is hosted at Rubino Estates Winery in the covered production area around the back of the tasting room. All are welcome to attend this event at no cost, whether they are a first-time visitor or a long-time member of Ruby Hill or Rubino. No reservations are needed, just drop by, say hello, and try these featured wines! 

The Case Sale Blitz will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 9th and 10th only. Sales are valid only while supplies last, and all wines are in limited quantity!

Event Terms and Conditions: Wines are available for purchase in full cases only. All sales are final and wines must be picked up at time of sale. No online, shipping, or phone orders will be accepted. Limit of one case per varietal, per party. Cannot be combined with loyalty points, discounts, or other promotions.

 

Your Guide to Fumé Blanc

     If you aren't familiar with Fumé Blanc but you love the tropical brightness of a sunny climate Sauvignon Blanc, then we encourage you to give Fumé a try. No matter the weather, enjoying this gorgeous white wine is like sipping on sunshine. Read on to unpack this delicious varietal and ideal pairings. 

     Fumé Blanc is a California-born wine, and fittingly golden in both hue and flavor. The late Robert Mondavi, renowned winemaker, pioneered the process of transforming Sauvignon Blanc with oak aging, resulting in what he named Fumé Blanc. The oak deemphasized the herbaceous and grassy tones in Sauvignon Blanc, allowing the bright fruit to flourish. Now, wine lovers can enjoy Fumé Blanc in many styles. The prominence of the oak influence and the amount of varietal zing from the Sauvignon Blanc fruit varies from winemaker to winemaker. In fact, there is no regulation for the amount of oak on a Fumé Blanc, so there is fantastic potential for creativity—it’s a “blanc” canvas, if you will!

     At Rubino Estates, we aged our 2021 vintage of Fumé Blanc in neutral oak for 5 months before bottling. The influence is gentle, bringing creamy body and touches of vanilla while still preserving the fresh and lively fruit notes. Stone fruit, citrus, and tropical character shine in each sip, carrying that beloved Sauvignon Blanc character. 

     Like Sauvignon Blanc, Fumé Blanc lends itself to a wide range of pairings. The weightier profile means that it can even pair with foods that are too heavy for Sauvignon Blanc. Pick lively flavors like citrus or light and creamy dishes. A few recommendations include sole piccata with lemon, sushi, pork loin or a French-style chicken tarragon. Build a charcuterie board with truffled goat cheese, dried apricots, seafood pâté, gruyère cheese, and your favorite crostinis and make the Fumé Blanc shine. For anyone with a sweet tooth, this-food friendly wine holds up as well. Try white chocolate orange peels, New Orleans beignets, lemon zest madeleines, a Japanese cotton cheesecake, or southern peach pie. It’s hard to go wrong.

Fumé Blanc is our Wine of the Month! Order today to sip and save.