Ron Rubin
Forty years of pursuing a dream would deter most people, but not Ron Rubin. His dream of owning a winery began in college at UC-Davis when he was 22 years old. Although it took him to the age of 62 to achieve his dream, today The Rubin Family of Wines strikes the right balance of people, patience, location, sustainability, and quality to craft beautiful wines. It was the discovery of a hidden gem, a small 10 acres, which lead to the pursuit of Ron’s forty year old dream.
The Rubin Family of Wines protects their environment through sustainable practices. The Green Valley, where Rubin is located, of the Russian River Valley is an ideal location to grow grapes. It is the coolest and foggiest part of the RRV. Furthermore, the estate’s Goldrich soil is ideal for growing Pinot Noir, and other cool-climate grapes. Ron Rubin's holistic approach to winegrowing includes owl boxes for pest management, cover cops for nutrient rich soil, tilling weeds, drought tolerant insect friendly landscape, water use monitoring in soil with irrigation used in only extreme conditions, solar energy, etc.
Ron’s stewardship does not end in the vineyard and winery, he believes in giving back to the Sonoma County community through charities such as Food for Thought that supplies food and meals to those living with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses, School Garden Network that promotes healthy food choices and agricultural awareness in youth, and American Cancer Society’s Sebastopol Relay for Life, among others. Furthermore, the addition of the Ron Rubin Student Commons at Sonoma State University is designed to be an inspiring space for students and faculty as well as connect students from around the world studying to join the wine industry.
In 2016, due to his innovative spirit, Ron Rubin was honored by North Bay Business Journal, when he received their 2016 Innovator of the Year Award.
In the fall of in 2017, Ron Rubin began the Ron Rubin Winery TRAINED FOR “SAVING LIVES” program. In collaboration with the American Red Cross and ZOLL Medical Corporation, Ron Rubin Winery is covering the cost of one ZOLL AED PLUS (Automated External Defibrillator) unit, to 450 qualifying, California wineries. This sustainability and safety plan is designed to keep visitors to California’s wine country safe and saved, if necessary. Each day, California becomes more heart safe, in the possible event that CPR or an AED would be necessary. All of these 221 wineries are now TRAINED FOR “SAVING LIVES,” with over 1,300 newly trained staff members ready to take action, if and when necessary.