Since I'm back home with Bella resting at my feet, I thought I'd kick off the first of many posts with a quick look at some of the wine dogs we encountered in Lodi. These were some of the friendliest and most relaxed dogs I've ever met, and everyone loved having them around.
This little black mutt at d'Art Wines grabbed a piece of dried grapevine and brought it to me in the tasting room. Perfect timing, though he didn't have a lot of interest in the chunky rabbit that kept hopping around the flower beds.
Ranger works the tasting room at Harney Lane Winery and greets customers. His other jobs include taking naps on the cool stone floors and searching for dropped food in the outdoor dining areas. One visitor asked if the winery was hiring, and stated that he wanted Ranger's job.
We encountered this old Weimaraner at the historic Bechthold Vineyard, home to what may be the oldest Cinsault vines in the world, planted in 1886. While one of the growers was talking about the care and tending of the gnarled old vines, this dog roamed around and chewed pieces of wood out of the trunks.
Roscoe joined us for a tour of Mohr-Fry Ranches, a farm that also produces a wide range of heirloom beans. According to Nannette, all dogs are named Roscoe.
This rescue mutt got a head scratch from Greg during a morning rosé tasting at the LangeTwins Family Winery original property. I'll have a lot more to say in the future about tailgate wine tastings and how I think they should spread across the nation.
2 comments:
Thanks for the pictures of the "Wine Dogs."
Dad,
We laughed about it at the time, but for me hanging out with the farm dogs was a real highlight of the trip. They're not guard dogs, not hunting dogs, they're not there to eat pests (although I imagine nobody would mind if they thinned out the gopher population), but they're quite happy in their life around the vines.
Cheers,
Ben
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