The Dream

As a veteran of the beverage industry, Ron Rubin dreamed of starting his own winery when he was studying viticulture and enology at UC Davis in 1971. Then in 1972 he joined his family-owned and operated business, Central Wholesale Liquor Co. in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He quickly made innovation a priority, introducing numerous line extensions into their beverage portfolio. Ron stayed with his family’s company for the next 22 years.

Ron’s path through the beverage industry saw him as the master licensee in the Southeastern U.S. for Clearly Canadian Sparkling Water, selling over 3 million cases through over 100 distributors.

In 1994, Ron read The Republic of Tea, a book about the story and philosophy behind the groundbreaking tea company. Rubin was so inspired, and made an offer to the Ziegler’s and Bill Rosenzweig to purchase The Republic of Tea. Since then, Rubin has been on a mission to seek and procure the most exquisite teas from world premier tea gardens, making them accessible to everyone.

40 years after Ron’s entry into the beverage industry, his dream came true. He purchased River Road Family Vineyards and Winery, in the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley, in the heart of California’s Sonoma County. Finding himself in the prestigious Green Valley made this “dream come true” even more meaningful.

In 2016, due to his innovative spirit, Ron Rubin was honored by North Bay Business Journal, when he received their Innovator of the Year Award.

Click here to learn more about Ron.