A Look At Ram’s Gate Winery’s Intimate Seasonal Wine & Food Experience

Situated within the rolling hills of the scenic Carneros viticultural area is Ram’s Gate Winery. It’s the first winery you see driving in from San Francisco off Highway 121, making Ram’s Gate an easy escape for those looking for impeccable wine tasting experiences.

Ram’s Gate Winery sits on 28 acres of land, featuring sprawling views of organically farmed estate vineyards; seamless indoor and outdoor spaces; multiple fireplaces; floor-to-ceiling windows; and impressive architectural designs througout the property. With it’s elegant and refined, yet laid back vibes, this winery emphasizes warm hospiality and with it a range of upscale culinary experiences to highlight its portfolio of sustainably made wines.

Ram’s Gate Winery offers a selection of culinary offerings, most recently the Seasonal Wine & Food Experience, a communal, multi-course pairing. This is the first experience set by the Ram’s Gate Winery’s hospitality program, which was created by the winery’s fairly new dynamic duo, Executive Chef Ruby Oliveros and Director of Hospitality Kristoffer Miller.

Executive Chef Oliveros joined the Ram’s Gate Winery team bringing with her 15 years of restaurant experience at places that include Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s acclaimed Silk restaurant and Rotunda at Neiman Marcus. She joins Ram’s Gate Winery’s Director of Hospitality Kristoffer Miller, who most recently spent four years as estate manager at Kendall Jackson Winery. Both joined the team in 2022.

Chef Oliveros works closely with Ram’s Gate General Manager and Winemaker Joe Nielsen when it comes to creating the food and wine pairings.

“Chef Ruby and I share a love for really analyzing flavors and creating unique combinations,” explains Nielsen. “At Ram’s Gate we try to be inclusive and thoughtful in our process, so it is an open dialogue as new dishes are prepared and how they work with our wines.”’

“She will taste with me in the cellar and immediately she starts formulating dishes in her head, not long after I am up in the kitchen trying the amazing things she has imagined for us brought to life. I’m always excited to see what she has in mind for our seasonal wine and food pairings and am always impressed with her interpretations.”

The new Seasonal Wine & Food Experience begins with a tour of the Ram’s Gate Winery property, highlighting the estate’s farming techniques and winemaking process. The tour is followed by a guided tasting of wines hand-selected by Nielsen and paired specifically with seasonal dishes prepared by Chef Oliveros.

“For me seasonality is key when coming up with ideas,” explains Chef Oliveros. “I look at what is fresh right now and am inspired by our wines to create dishes that celebrate the current season through the lens of Ram’s Gate. Ram’s Gate’s General Manager and Winemaker Joe Nielsen and I collaborate throughout this process on the best flavors to pair with the wines we want to showcase.”

“Together, we put them into action and finally create a mock food and wine tasting experience. This is also when I like to iron out any dishes that need adjustments before finalizing the set menu.”

We chatted with both Executive Chef Oliveros and Ram’s Gate General Manager and Winemaker Joe Nielsen on the new culinary experience, wine making, hospitality and more. Here’s what they had to say.

Why did you choose Chef Ruby as the Executive Chef at Ram’s Gate?

Joe Nielsen: To me, Ram’s Gate Winery is all about the adventure and exploration of our palates. When I joined the company 5 vintages ago, I was excited about the lively culture, the desires to be great, and the overall excitement about creating wines that were alive, fresh, and full of verve. Our culinary program has also mirrored that and after meeting Chef Ruby and understanding that we shared the same values for flavor exploration and presenting a refined view on what we interpret as classic pairings—it felt like an instant match. Chef Ruby brings an extensive background of working with a myriad of international flavors to Ram’s Gate. She has an amazing palate and has crafted each dish on her menu specifically to highlight our wines’ unique nuances and profiles.

Do you consider how the wines will taste with food when making your wine?

Joe Nielsen: There are so many factors to consider when crafting wine. At Ram’s Gate we believe that wine is part of the dinner table and ultimately a balanced wine should lend itself to balance with a perfect dish. Our whole philosophy is to make wines that are complete, complex, and compelling, which means the wines are engaging and provide for hedonistic delights. That doesn’t mean I set out to make a wine to pair with my favorite BBQ dish, but its hard not to think about food when we are working on our blends from the current vintage.

Talk about what you envision the culinary program at Ram’s Gate to look like.

Chef Oliveros: When I joined the Ram’s Gate family in the spring of 2022, I conceptualized an intimate experience by using local and seasonal ingredients to create flavors that are unique and simple, yet sophisticated and designed to complement the wines. I’d like our guests to see my passion at first glance as well as the first bite.

What is the inspiration for the menu, and will it change? Current highlights?

Chef Oliveros: I find my inspiration from the flavors I grew up with in the Philippines, as well as elevating simple and delicious ingredients. My inspiration will not change but the flavors and concepts of my dishes will always be evolving. A current highlight on our menu is the Puff Truffle Mushroom Mousse, paired with dried apricot chutney, pickled pearl onion petals and a balsamic reduction. I love the look on our guests’ faces when they find out that the dish is vegan. This dish pairs wonderfully with the Ram’s Gate Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir due to the complex, yet earthy flavors.

How has your previous restaurant work influenced your role at Ram’s Gate? What excites you about helping launch this program here?

Chef Oliveros: My experience working in a busy restaurant as well as the different outlets in a hotel environment gave me the confidence and drive to extend and expand our current food offerings at the Ram’s Gate tasting room and for our private events. What excites me about the culinary program here is our ability to offer unique and pleasurable experiences for our guests and members every time they visit. I also love the opportunity to work directly with a winemaker to pair my creations with Ram’s Gate’s beautiful and unique wines.