This moment in time continues to be challenging for us all as the world grapples with both the pandemic and protests. The uncertainty for what it will all mean in the future is unsettling, but I am choosing to find hope amidst the pain.
Last week found me on a socially distant, “Pandemic Playdate” in the local park with my friend. She supplied the colored pencils and I brought a bottle of wine. The page I had selected to color that day read:
It is at this moment, when things appear so bleak that we must redouble our efforts and not give up. We must believe that we can remake the world in a more peaceful reality.
~Cynthia McKinney
I was in a dark place that afternoon, but this quote touched me deeply.
As we move forward to remake the world, I am holding my hopes and dreams in my heart and in my mind even though I don’t know when they will come to fruition. Along these lines, while some people leap straight into pursuing their passions, others wait patiently for their dreams to come true.
Ron Rubin first dreamt of having his own winery while a student at UC Davis. That was back in 1971. But life had other plans for Ron. In 1972, he returned home to Illinois and entered the family business, Central Wholesale Liquor Co., bringing innovation and expansion over his 22 year tenure with the company before moving on to become a top seller of Clearly Canadian Sparking Water.
Yet, he never forgot about his dream.
Forty years later, Ron parlayed his success into the purchase of River Road Family Vineyards and Winery, in the Russian River Valley’s Green Valley, renaming the winery Ron Rubin Winery. He had finally manifested his dream!
Not one to rest on his laurels, Ron threw himself into his new venture, earning himself the honor of Innovator of the Year Award from the North Bay Business Journal in 2016.
And, interestingly, while wine continues to be an important passion, his love of beverages is quite broad. In this regard, Ron was so inspired by the book The Republic of Tea that he made an offer to the authors (and owners of The Republic of Tea), Mel and Patricia Ziegler, to purchase their company back in 1994.
Beyond beverages, Ron’s other guiding passion is philanthropy, giving both his financial support and business acumen to numerous causes including serving on the Board for Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute; donating to Wine Spectator Learning Center’s state-of-the-art education complex; funding The Maynard Amerine Wine Label and Menu Collection, at U.C. Davis; and establishing the Ron Rubin Winery TRAINED FOR “SAVING LIVES” program.
This latter program was launched in 2017 in collaboration with the American Red Cross and ZOLL Medical Corporation, with the Ron Rubin Winery covering the cost of supplying qualifying California wineries with a ZOLL AED PLUS (Automated External Defibrillator) unit.
In keeping with his life-long pursuit, Ron’s top wines are part of his Dream Series and include two Chardonnays and a Pinot Noir.
TASTING NOTES
Ron Rubin Winery Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2018, $20.00
A bit shy on the nose, but really lovely on the dry palate with medium acidity, medium+ body and complex flavors of melon, apple, a slight woody note and vanilla, culminating in long length.
Ron Rubin Winery Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017, $25.00
With berry and cherry aromas on the nose, this beautiful wine offers up good acidity, fresh cherry fruit, slight leafy notes and long length on the palate.
