Cakebread Cellars Pinot Noir Harvest 2-17

The 2017 Cakebread Pinot Noir harvest was one for the books! Harvest is always a fun and exciting time in the winery, but the lead-up often brings an extra level of complexity, and this vintage was no exception.  Mother Nature brought abundant rainfall during winter, producing vigorous vines, followed by extreme heat over Labor Day, kicking harvest right into high gear.

Capturing the buzz at Cakebread Cellars during this time was truly one of my most memorable photoshoots yet.  The day for these grapes started with a night harvest at the Annahala and Apple Barn Estate vineyards – known collectively as Two Creeks Vineyards in Anderson Valley.  Here, the marine-influenced climate and warm, sunny afternoons provide the perfect stage for growing nine superior pinot noir clones.  By the time I was on-location at the winery in Napa just after sunrise, the fruit had just arrived from the vineyard and was ready to be sorted.

Meanwhile back at the winery, where the air was filled with aromas of juicy, fermenting fruit, the cellar team was equally as busy – grapes were hand-sorted, while tanks were drained and filled and pumpovers happening all around. Needless to say, harvest is truly an all-hands-on-deck job, with head winemaker Julianne Laks leading the charge.

There is no denying that during harvest an incredible amount of hours are spent in the vineyards and at the winery… I’m talking sometimes up to 100 hours a week. Cakebread’s crew had sky-high spirits and remained strong throughout the long days, fueled by shared laughter and camaraderie. Their spirits were infectious, making this day not only one of my most unforgettable and fun shoots, but also one of my most treasured Napa experiences.


And in case you’re wondering what Julianne’s verdict is for the ’17 Pinot….Let’s just say she cannot wait for us to try it.


Sensory Wine Tasting | Stags Leap Winery

Grapes were first planted on the property of Stages Leap Winey in 1872.  It is a gorgeous and storied estate that creates fantastic wines.  I recently had the pleasure to photograph the property and several of their different wine and food tasting experiences.


San Antonio Winery – Cabernet Harvest

What do you think when you enjoy a rich glass of Cabernet? Do you savor the flavors and try to identify the subtleties that give the vintage it’s unique characteristics? I hope this post will help you to go further into what makes a beautiful bottle of wine. I recently photographed the fall harvest for San Antonio Winery’s Napa vineyard operations. The winemakers and the crew harvested at night and into the early morning, so I had to use all of my lighting skills to get this right. It was amazing shooting as the sun came up and witnessing the live art show the sky over Napa creates. The deep color of the grapes will be an indelible image for me. On this shoot I did something a little different and took wide angle shots of the entire vineyard. You can see how vast it is, and imagine how many grapes had to be picked.

As I watched the crew picking the grapes by hand, it made me appreciate that beautiful glass of wine all the more. Not only do the grapes absorb what is in the soil, and in the air around them, but I now see the character of the wine is also in the people who cultivate the vintage.

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The Tasting Panel | October 2014

September was a very busy month for ​Rubin Photography!​ Along with a number of commercial shoots​, ​ we had 3​ ​photo shoots for the October issue of
The Tasting Panel Magazine.  The first shoot was at Hahn Winery​, located​ in the Santa Lucia Highlands in ​beautiful ​Monterey ​W​ine ​C​ountry. We spent the day photographing​ ​and touring the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards with the president of Hahn Family Wines​,​ Tony Baldini and the ​D​irector of ​W​inemaking​, ​
Paul Cliften. The ​second​ shoot was at ChalkBoard Restaurant in​ ​downtown ​Healdsburg, C​alifornia,​ and featured specialty cocktails ​made ​with Charles Goodnight bourbon. The third shoot feature​d​ ​Jennifer Gomez​,​ the ​Wi​ne ​D​irector for San Francisco’s Jardiniere Restaurant, and Graham’s Six Grapes Old Vine Special Edition​.​

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Chateau Montelena Winery

Below are a few images from a shoot at ​one of my favorite wineries, ​Chateau Montelena​.​  Montelena ​and it’s owner, Jim Barrett​​, are ​known​ worldwide.   They make a variety of incredible reds and whites and the property has an extensive history. ​ ​Barrett, with the help of Steven Spurrier, owner and founder of then Academie du Vin in Paris, played key roles in bringing a new generation of California wines that could stand up to France’s finest. ​ Ch​ateau ​Montelena​’s ​1973 Chardonnay won first place in the “Judgment of Paris” wine competition.   ​The four winning wines were Chateau Montelena ’73 from Napa, French Meursault-Charmes ’73, Chlaone ’74 Monterey County, California and Napa’s Spring Mountain ’73. ​A fictionalized version of Chateau Montelena’s victory was featured in the 2008 film Bottle Shock ​, which I suggest watching if you enjoying learning about wine.​ T​he historic win at the Judgement of Paris clearly called attention to the lesser known and valued California wine industry and firmly planted Napa Valley on the map.  If you happen to be in the Calistoga area, Chateau Montelena is well worth the trip.

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Goldeneye Winery | Lifestyle Shoot | Anderson Valley

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a lifestyle shoot at Goldeneye Winery in the gorgeous Anderson Valley.  It’s in the heart of Mendocino’s wine country.  It’s a great region for Pinot Nior, their specialty.  The fall leaves in the vineyards were a sight to behold and we captured some amazing images!

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Simple Wine News Magazine | Cover Photoshoot and Feature

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the cover and feature story about Ridge Vineyard for Simple Wine News Russia.  I photographed Paul Draper, chief winemaker at the vineyard since 1969.  Draper first gained recognition for his 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, when it placed 5th in the Judgment of Paris wine tasting.  If you haven’t tried Ridge wines, they are a must!  The winery is composed of two main vineyards in California, one in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Cupertino, and the other in Sonoma.  Take a look at the story below!