
Ruby Hill Winery history goes way back to 1887 when it was founded by John Crelin. The original solid brick building stood out as a gem of the Livermore Valley. The area was named Ruby Hill for its bright red soil. John Crelin constantly produced the finest wines in the area. The winery has gone through many owners in the last 140 years. John Crelin’s son Charles took over after John died and sold the winery to Ernest Ferrario n 1921. In the 1970’s it was sold to Southern Pacific Railroad.
In 1975 Stony Ridge Winery was established in the building. The original structure survived over the years until the heavily timbered building met its demise on November 8, 1989 due to a suspicious fire. Only the walls remained standing, and remained there for another 12 years until it was demolished in 2002. The new Ruby Hill Winery was rebuilt on the same spot in the same style as the original. In 2008 Ruby Hill Tasting Room m
oved into their new location on the corner of Isabel and Vineyard next to the Casa Real Event Center. The Mitchell Katz Winery is now located in the old building.
The philosophy of Ruby Hill Winery is to produce world-class wines of the highest caliber from Livermore Valley and surrounding California coastal regions. The wines are hand-crafted in small lots. As winemaker Chris Graves says, “Although I may try to maintain a particular style from vintage to vintage, I treat every wine differently with respect to its own personality, and treat it with tender loving care.”
Winemaker Chris Graves grew up in the Sierra Foothills and knew at an early age of 16 that winemaking was his future. He eventually went to U.C. Davis and earned his degree in enology. After graduation he went to work for Wente winery moving up to assistant winemaker and later winemaker at Tamas Estates, a brand owned by Wente. He then moved on to be the winemaker at Ruby Hill Estates in 2007.
His experiences and education has taught him about the quality of the terroir in Livermore and the production of quality hand-crafted wines.
Ruby Hill’s 2007 Grapeful Red is a celebration of all things enjoyable. It is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Barbera, all barrel aged for 18 months prior to bottling to soften the wine. On the nose you will find intense fruity aromas of dark cherry and blackberry jam, with hints of violets and vanilla. In the mouth you get that same dark fruit of cherry, plum and black raspberry. During a visit to the tasting room you will see the staff wearing their tie-dyed shirts announcing Grapeful Red! This wine pairs beautifully with an aged Manchego cheese. Manchego is named for the Spanish region of La Mancha, home of Don Quixote. It is produced from sheep’s milk and has a black gray or buff colored rind with crosshatch pattern. The aroma of the cheese suggests lanolin and roast lamb and the flavor is a mild, slightly briny and nutty flavor.
The 2007 Dolce Amore (Sweet Love) Petite Sirah/Barbera Port Blend is aged one year in oak casks to allow the wine to soften, while maintaining the fruity character. The winemaker made this a pure bliss; the flavors are reminiscent of black cherry, plum and cocoa. It pairs well with a creamy blue cheese or a rich chocolate dessert.
Other wines that particularly stand out are the 2007 Livermore Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Rosato Livermore Cabernet, 2007 Livermore Sangiovese, 2007 Grapeful Red blend of Zin, Petite Sirah and Barbera and the 2007 Livermore Chardonnay Reserve. Stop by their beautiful new tasting room at the corner of Isabel and Vineyard, surrounded by their vineyards.


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During their spare time, Anna and Mario formed Esca Wines of Napa Valley. “Esca”, Italian for Allurement, is an expression of their winemaking style. They believe life is to be enjoyed on a daily basis and a civilized life is enjoying fine food and great wine with good friends around the dinner table. The Esca 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is elegant and focused. The nose reveals blackberry, blueberry and currant flavors with underlying floral tones. The hints of tobacco, leather and coffee combined with the long finish makes this an elegant wine by itself or with food. The tannins are surprisingly smooth. In addition to the Napa Valley Cabernet, this wine includes 8% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It goes well with prime rib or lamb chops.
The Monte Verde 2007 Merlot from Villa Palma Vineyards in Santa Clara Valley is a dark medium bodied wine is bursting with dark cherry and blackberry flavors with medium levels of tannin and a touch of spice, including clove and cinnamon. It is a very versatile wine that can be paired with a range of foods including flank steak, roast chicken or even a bacon cheeseburger. As you can expect for a winery this size, every wine is truly hand-crafted. The grapes are specially selected and fermented in small lots based on vineyard designation. Only French oak is use, producing wines with balance and great quality.
In addition to Crocker & Starr, Pam is a busy consulting winemaker for several other wineries in the valley, such as Adastra, and has joined forces with winemaker Drew Nieman to create a red wine blend called “Bridesmaid”.2004 Bridesmaid Red Blend explodes with flavors and aromas of dark berry fruits, currant, coffee, chocolate and integrated oak tannins. The texture is creamy polished, classy and plush. It pairs wonderfully with grilled meats and game, sharp cheeses, nuts and chocolate.
Morgan has focused on Viognier and Cold Heaven now produces Viognier from several different vineyards in Santa Barbara County, along with some Syrah. She tries to dispel the misunderstandings about Viognier and makes a wine with the acidity works with a variety of cuisines. Acidity is like salt to food, and you have to have enough of it to bring out the other flavors. Cold Heaven has a minimalist oak philosophy using neutral oak, 5-10 year old French barrels. The Cold Heaven 2008 Viognier from Vogelzang Vineyards in Santa Ynez Valley is full of lush tropical fruits and exotic white flowers overlaying an invigorating acidity, keeping the wine fresh and lively. Care at harvesting insures that the wine has that sleekness you expect in a fine Viognier. This wine is great for Thanksgiving dinner pairing well with turkey and pumpkin pie. It also goes very well with Asian foods and curry dishes.
Let’s take a look at a couple California Women Winemakers: Kristi Koford is the winemaker at Elizabeth Rose Wines in Napa Valley. Kristi started as a Senior Enologist at Robert Mondavi Winery and moved on to become the Assistant Winemaker at St Supery and then to Alderbrook Vineyards and Winery where she was the winemaker producing 50,000 cases annually of a wide variety of wines. Kristi’s 2008 Elizabeth Rose Sauvignon Blanc comes from 100% certified organic grapes from Yountville area of Napa Valley. It exhibits multiple layers of fresh tropical aromas and flavors, along with guava, gooseberry, guava and kiwi fruit. Minerality lingers in the finish.
Celia Welch was born and raised in Oregon as the daughter of an avid wine collector and home winemaker. Combining her fascination with flavors and aromas with her scientific knowledge, she went to UC Davis to study Enology. After graduation she expanded her knowledge working at wineries around the world including Australia, New Zealand, the East Coast and the Northwest. She returned to California to join Silverado Vineyards, then moving on to Robert Pepi Winery and Staglin Family Vineyard. Then she moved on to be a consultant for a selection of ultra-premium Napa Valley wineries. She is a member of the Winemaker’s Hall of Fame of the Women for Winesense.


