Ron Rubin Winery: An Adventure in Feng Shui Design

What lies between a winery’s walls play a role in the wine itself. In the case of Ron Rubin Winery, Feng Shui engulfs the winery from inside and out. This aspect is reflected in the wines through energy. When I heard that Ron Rubin’s winery is built and organized around Feng Shui design, it intrigued me so much that I wanted to know more because the story of Ron Rubin is the journey with harmony.

Family Background

Ron Rubin’s family had been in the wholesale wine and liquor distribution business in Illinois. When Ron ran the business, he would take his clients to California to learn about wine. He sold the company in 1994. He then bought the Republic of Tea, which his son now runs.

Tea comes from China, Japan, Sri Lanka, India, and Taiwan. Ron’s feeling was the best way to learn about tea was to immerse yourself in that world by staying in constant contact with those the countries that produce tea. That meant trips to those countries. While visiting these countries, Ron learned about Feng Shui design. Both tea and Feng Shui developed in ancient China. In a sense, they complement one another. Ron felt, the five elements of the practice, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, fit with tea.

Feng Shui Design and the Winery

Since Ron’s days of studying viticulture and enology at UC Davis, Ron’s dream was to one day own a winery. That dream came true in 2011 when he purchased his winery in the southern part of Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, known as Green Valley. Ron felt the concepts of Feng Shui design fit into the making of a good winery. Feng Shui is about efficiency and the flow of energy in the environment. By utilizing the elements, it creates a quiet, clean, and organized place to work and improves productivity. He hired an architect and a Feng Shui design consultant from Chicago to design his winery.

Like your first sip of wine, it is that first impression that makes all the difference whether you like the wine or not. The same is true of Feng Shui; the first impression is significant. It can make or break a business, so when it came time to incorporate these traditions in his winery, he positioned the winery’s interior and exterior to these principles.

The winemaker’s offices face south. This position energizes the room and those that enter with high energy, yet at the same time, it is a quiet, inviting place. In the lab, the morning sun comes in to help the winemaker. Everything has its space. In the barrel room, everything is thought out, so the room is uncluttered, organize, and easy to top off the wine. The same goes for the crush pad.

With the Feng Shui principles of organization, think of a pole of energy that can be followed. For example, what is the path of the forklift, so it has the right pathway through the winery.

Sustainability and Feng Shui

Ron Rubin Winery is SIP certified and Certified Sustainable by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Some of the practices within both sustainable certifications follow Feng Shui principles. Since sustainability is about people, the planet and properly reducing, energy, and water conservation, these philosophies tie into the Feng Shui design elements of energy and water. The standards of organization lend to sustainability. Both theories are about being socially responsible.

At Ron Rubin Winery, the vineyards are manicured. The vines existed before Ron purchased the property. The way the grapes are cared for applies to both sustainable farming and Feng Shui because it is about the energy flow between the vines.

Ron Rubin Wine

The goal for Ron Rubin is to have affordable yet excellent wine at a price point we can all enjoy.

Ron Rubin Russian River Chardonnay 2018: This Burgundian style wine delivers aromas of pears and oak on the nose, and on the palate, I found a crisp and approachable wine with fruity flavors of apple and pear. In my case, it paired beautifully with smoked steelhead trout. After barrel fermenting the wine ages in French and American oak, 20% new oak.

Pam’s Unoaked California Chardonnay 2018: The story goes that when Ron purchased the property, his wife, Pam, insisted on an unoaked Chardonnay since she did not like oaky ones. Her wish came to fruition in 2012 with the release of their first unoaked Chardonnay. On the nose, I found aromas of pear and florals while on the palate, the wine exhibits flavors of pears and apples. The real deal of this wine is the cost. Reasonably price the wine is sure to please everyone.

Ron Rubin Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017: Consisting of six clones, 115, 667, 777, 828, 113, and Pommard, the wine ages in 15% new French oak. I discovered a light-bodied and bright Pinot Noir with aromas of brambleberry and flavors of cherry, cranberry, and raspberry, followed by hints of spice on the finish.

It is Feng Shui principles that guide Ron Rubin and his winery. In essence, these practices enable the visitor to have a beautiful experience enhanced by a wine with great value; thereby, Ron has achieved his goals.

Note: Common to the wine industry, this writer received hosted wine samples. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure.