I have the pleasure of working with Ed Morris [left] at The Rubin Family of Wines. This is the latest news:
The Rubin Family of Wines is pleased to announce that Assistant Winemaker Ed Morris has been promoted to Associate Winemaker. Morris will continue to work in partnership with winemaker Joe Freeman, but at a much higher level of involvement and expertise.
On January 5, 2015, Ed was elevated to associate winemaker for The Rubin Family of Wines. Associate Winemaker Ed Morris’s coopering background adds extra value to his role. When needed, he has done some insert installation and some barrel repair. He’s helped to refine the barrel program, by finding the best barrels well-suited to Green Valley of Russian River Valley grapes.
According to Winemaker Joe Freeman, “I’m very excited about Ed’s advancement. Ed will have an increased role in blending, developing new wines, and supporting The Rubin Family of Wines in the marketplace.
Ed Morris comes from a long line of craftsmen: his great-grandfather was a violin builder by trade, his grandfather was a clock maker, and his father is a carpenter. Growing up in the Russian River Valley, and attending high school in Forestville, he planned to attend Santa Rosa Junior College after graduation. A summer job at a custom cooperage, however, changed everything.
Ed began working at ReCoop during the summer of 1999, and never looked back. During his time, he worked with trained master coopers of the first French coopers who had come to California. Ed quickly became infatuated with barrel building. Within three to four years, he was building his own barrels. He set up a shop in his garage, and began manufacturing small barrels for home winemakers, as well as incorporating with ReCoop, in order to officially start a line of smaller barrels.
In 2005, Ed became the production manager, working closely with well-respected winemakers, such as Jeff Hinchcliff at Hanna Winery and Greg La Follette. This allowed him to do some experimental processes on barrels. During this time, Ed was also taking classes at Santa Rosa Junior College and UC Davis, in order to further his wine education. He started making beer at home, and found that he began to experience a personal evolution toward beverage making.
Ed’s cooperage experience is incredibly valuable to the The Rubin Family of Wines winemaking team. In 2010, Ed was hired as a crew member to work in the cellar at River Road Family Vineyards and Winery. In early 2011, Ed became Joe Freeman’s assistant winemaker.
As a native of this area, Ed loves to live and work where he grew up, feeling that this part of California is where his heart is, residing in Sebastopol.
On this promotion, Ed Morris expresses his relationship with Winemaker Joe Freeman. “Joe Freeman and I have a great relationship when it comes to making wine. We both agree that the flavors of the wine should be highlighted over blatant oak flavors. And, that the wine’s flavors are best elevated by early contact with some oak. Sometimes, we’ve even realized the potential of putting certain wines into barrels during fermentation.”
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