Tag: mutt lynch

Wine Label Contest Deadline is May 15, 2010

Leeroy Out Loud! by Kellie Oliphant-Burns was last year's winner

Leeroy says the deadline to submit artwork for this year's Mutt Lynch – Dog Art Today Wine Label Contest is just over 10 days away. Your entry form and and artwork must be submitted by May 15, 2010 by midnight PST.

I have emailed everyone who has already sent in images. If you have not received an email from me, I did not receive your submission.

Once again, the entries are very impressive. Keep 'em coming.

For full details of the contest click here.

May 4, 2010
Sonoma Weekend With Darby and The Girls

Last weekend, I traveled to Sonoma County,CA with my sister Sheila Cameron (Grass Valley), four girlfriends; Cindy Sanborn Hytner (Grass Valley), Kara Haspel Lind (San Francisco), Anahita Ross (Los Angeles), and Meredith Driscoll (Pittsburgh) for the Mutt Lynch Dog Days of Summer event. Darby came too. We had an amazing time. Here are some highlights…

We rented a sweet Victorian house in Geyserville.

Lunch at Diavola was outstanding!

First stop was a short walk into town to Diavola Pizzeria & Saumeria. It was just Sheila, Meredith, me, and Cindy (right to left), since Kara was still in San Francisco picking up Anahita whose flight was delayed. Lunch was one of those experiences that will stand out as one of the best ever. Truly right up there with any Italian pizzaria, if not better. We had the salami and cheese plate — the meats are made in house, roasted asparagus, with truffled pecorino and pancetta, the BLT panini, and the Sonja pizza with tomato, mascarpone cheese, arugula and prociutto. Wine was a Palmina, Pino Grigio from Santa Barbara and it was lovely. I never want to eat store bought meat again.

Darby the local

Next, we walked a few doors down to Locals tasting room where we tried the indigenous wines. Diane Lieberman, the manager, allowed Darby to join us as long as he didn't bite. He loved it, and we discovered (and bought lots of) some great Sonoma County finds.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Brian, Cindy, and Gretchen 2. dinner is served: Sheila, Cindy, Anahita, me, Amy, Morgan and Kara 3. Morgan and Trixie 4. Zucchini and Gretchen's pretty Fiestaware

That night, Cindy's high school friend, Brian Crebs, invited us all to dinner with his wife, Gretchen, and two beautiful daughters, Morgan and Amy. Gretchen, is a fifth-generation, Geyservillian, who lives in her grandmother's Craftsman house. Her father, Harry Bosworth, owns the Bosworth and Sons General Merchandise store in town. After dinner, Gretchen confessed to us that the "new" outside dining table we all sat around came from the back of her dad's store and was probably her grandfather's mortician's table.

Mutt Lynch Winery

The next day, we all went to Mutt Lynch Winery where I met Chris and Brenda Lynch and the winning artist in our Dog Art Today – Mutt Lynch Winery contest, Kellie Oliphant-Burns.

Kellie Oliphant-Burns, Brenda Lynch, Me and Darby

The Dogs Days were a whirlwind of dogs and dog artists and wine. I know I am biased, but the Leeroy Out Loud! Meritage is fantastic. Also, the event was a tremendous success for the Healdsburg Animal Shelter. $3,200 was raised for them that weekend.

1. Harry Driscoll's new hat 2. Harry Bosworth in his store 3. Cindy browses

Later, Cindy, Meredith, and Anahita stopped by Bosworth and Sons and met Gretchen's dad, Harry Bosworth. Meredith picked out a red cowboy hat for her son, Harry.

Another great meal. This time at our house.

Then the girls went into town, back to Diavola. Later, we all got in the hot tub, had some more wine, and turned on Saturday Night Live. It was the first and only time the TV was on all weekend.

Good-bye, Geyserville

Sunday morning, we said good-bye to our house and made a plan to do it all again next year. Hope you can make it.

Photo of Kellie, Brenda, and me by Darrell Zoromski

August 12, 2009
The Mutt Lynch Dog Days are Here!

Leeroy with Leeroy

I am so excited. The Dog Days of Summer are finally here. Technically the Dog Days refer to the sultry weeks between July 24 and August 24 when the Ancient Greeks spotted Sirius, the dog star, in the night sky. But for dog art and wine lovers, it means Sonoma County’s Mutt Lynch Winery welcomes guests and their dogs to their annual meandering open house. This years it’s this weekend August 8 and 9, 2009.

As regular readers know, Dog Art Today collaborated with Mutt Lynch owners Chris and Brenda Lynch in a dog art wine label contest to find the artwork that would grace the label of their new, exclusive Meritage. Canadian artist, Kellie Oliphant-Burns, was the winner with her entry Leeroy Out Loud! inspired by her Greyhound, Leeroy (both seen above).

This Saturday, August 8 at 12 pm, Kellie and I will be there with Chris and Brenda Lynch and label designer, Rae Huestis, to introduce the Leeroy Out Loud! label and wine. There will be lots of other dog-theamed award winning wine, (congratulations, Chris andn Brenda, on your latest gold medals), treats for dogs and humans (I must especially thank Kara Haspel Lind for donating her incredible Kara’s Cupcakes — truly the best), and dog art for sale, all benefitting the Healdsburg Animal Shelter of Sonoma County. Tickets are $10.

Kara’s Cupcakes are the best I have ever tasted…seriously.

Also, fine art photographer Jesse Freidin will be there taking Polaroids of your dog for a $10 sitting fee, also benefitting HAS. Jesse was recently featured on In Circle Pets, where he discusses his hands on approach towards photography, as in film and a dark room — how novel.

Pug by Jesse Freidin

Darby and I will be there from 11:30 until 3:30 on Saturday August 8, and we would love to meet you. Please come by and celebrate the summer with your pup. I think it’s going to be a magical day.

Information:

Dates: Saturday and Sunday August 8th and 9th
Time: 11am to 5pm
Tickets at the door: $10 human admission, dogs get in free!

New winery location: 602 Limerick Lane, Healdsburg, CA 95448.

August 2, 2009
Vote For Your Favorite Dog Art Wine Label This Week!

I am in awe of all your beautiful and ingenious entries for the Mutt Lynch – Dog Art Today Wine Label Contest. Thank you everyone for participating. The contest has blown past my wildest expectations.

Description of the wine that will have the winning label: a Dry Creek Valley Meritage, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot that is aged in 100% French oak for 18 months. Only 500 bottles
of this rare and exclusive wine will be produced.

Click here to review all 51 wine labels and then cast your vote for your favorite. The top 10 artists with the most votes will go to the next round. Then, the winner will be selected from the finalists by judges Brenda Lynch – winemaker/co-owner of Mutt Lynch Winery, Rae Huestis – wine label designer, and Moira McLaughlin (me) – founder of Dog Art Today.

Voting runs until midnight PST, Friday, June 19, 2009.

The wine with the winning label will debut at The Dog Days of Summer event at Mutt Lynch Winery August 8, 2009. Proceeds benefit the Healdsburg Animal Shelter. Please come and bring your dogs.

photo credit: Vote Dog by Rebecca Collins.

June 15, 2009
Wine Label Contest Deadline Tonight at Midnight

You still have time to put the finishing touches on your Mutt Lynch-Dog Art Today wine label entry before the deadline tonight at midnight. Contest guidelines are here. Voting for the top 10 finalists will begin Monday June 15 and continue through Friday June 19. Remember to get your friends to vote for you.

The winning label will grace an exclusive new bottle of Meritage from Mutt Lynch Winery. The wine will debut at Mutt Lynch's annual Dog Days of Summer event, a day of wine, dogs, and dog art in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, CA on August 8, 2009 from 11 am to 5 pm. Tickets are $10 and proceeds benefit the Healdbsurg Animal Shelter. Click here for more information. Dogs are welcome. Darby and I will be there and we would love to meet you and your pups.

Photo credit: Dog in Knutsen Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon by Janis Miglavs.

June 12, 2009
**Update** The Top 10 finalists have been announced on my main blog page. Click here to view results.

Please review all 51 entries, then CLICK HERE to cast your vote. Top 10 go to the finals.

1.) Chihuahua at the Wine Bar by Jay Schmetz

2.) Pink Dog by Lynnda Rakos

3.) Muscular Meritage: You Talkin’ to Me??? by Evelyn Morris Hecht

4.) Vineyard Crew by Mylette Welch

5.) I Love Lucy by Susanne Cochran

6.) Untitled by Cindy Karl

7.) The Perfect Day by Sheila Wedegis

8.) Tig ’03 – Careful Balance by Fred Chuang

9.) Wine Walk by Dianne Woods

10.) Mutt-nificent Meritage by Kait Matthews

11.) Fisherdog by Adrian Farias

12.) In Your Face by Lisa Riehl

13.) Untitled by Richard Ritter

14.) Two Dog Night by Rachael Rossman

15.) Fetching Red by Nancy Schutt

16.) Devil Dog by Tamara Tate

17.) Daisy with Daisy by Michael Bingham

18.) Merry Dog Meritage by Christine Pierce

19.) Leeroy Out Loud! by Kellie Oliphant-Burns

20.) Echo on the River by Lauri Luck

21.) Lord Vincent – Keeper of the Vine by Katherine Schad

22.) Cheers by Maggie Crawford

23.) Frances by Cheralynn Johnston

24.) Big Man Dan Meritage by Meredith M. Driscoll

25.) Heaven Sent by Jan Basil

26.) Lap it Up by Shelly Atkinson

27.) We carefully shepherd our grapes by Linda O’Neill

28.) Cab and a Half by Michelle Hayden-Marsan

29.) A Mellow Yellow by MarySue Krueger

30.) Boomerang by Jen Raynes

31.) Blue Tick Red – All Bark No Bite by Eduardo Beltran

32.) Surf’s Up by Ande Cook

33.) Woof you Meritage me by Summer Colwell

34.) Bon P’tit Chien by Melissa Doldron

35.) The Dog Star (Are You Sirius??) by Eileen Hale

36.) Caber “NOSE” Merlot by Jennifer K. Keller

37.) Doggedly Faithful by Nikki Solone

38.) Spirits to buggeth out the eye by Rachel Miller

39.) Untitled by Robert Marinich

40.) Ma’dame Merlot by Lesli Zephyr

41.) Full Body Finish by Bob Ankers

42.) Dog Vine by Bob Best

43.) Bully Blend by Kristin Bowen

44.) Wine a raner by Julia Rae Bell

45.) Meri-Mutt Doggone Good Wine by Suzanne Hunter

46.) Barcchus: The canine god of wine (after Caravaggio) by Christine Throckmorton

47.) Rites of Spring by Ellie Fidler

48.) Ari’s Night Revisited by Jane O’Hara

49.) A Meritage Made in Heaven by Aimee Valentine

50.) Kimba by Denise Rouan

51.) Forever Angel by Melinda Dalke

CLICK HERE to cast your vote. The top 10 go to the finals.

May 24, 2009
Dog Days in Wine Country

By kdluck via flickr

Northern California wineries open their doors to dogs this August. Here is a great list of events for you and your pup courtesy of Sandy Lurins, publisher of FETCH (a monthly Bay Area pet newspaper), writer of The Bay Area Dog Blog, and producer of the annual Bay Area Pet Fair & Adoptathon.

Thanks, Sandy. Now grab your pups and go have a drink!

Dog Days of Summer at Mutt Lynch. The winery known for great labels such as “Merlot Over and Play Dead” (above) opens its
doors once each year for Dog Days of Summer, Saturday and Sunday August
10 & 11, 2008 in Healdsburg. This annual event includes wine tasting,
dog themed art, vendor booths, and great sniffing and hanging out in
Alexander Valley. Benefits the Healdsburg Animal Shelter. Dogs on
leash welcome.

Dog Days at Trentadue Winery. Just a few miles from Mutt Lynch, the serene and shady grounds of Trentadue
are ideal for roaming with your dog. Splash stations to stay cool in
between the doggy games, plus food and contests. In Geyserville, Sunday
August 10, 2008. $5 per person and per dog. Dogs on leash welcome.

Winery Pup by Bully-fied via flickr.

These events are not dog friendly, but they benefit local shelters:

Hot Summer Wine Fest. Westover
Winery in Castro Valley throws a Wine-Fest on Sunday
August 10. Proceeds from the event, which includes live music and wine
tasting, benefit the East Bay SPCA. $35 per car full of up to six animal lovers. Please, no dogs at the event.

by Ruth L via flickr.

Wags, Whiskers and Wine.� Unwind in wine country at the St. Francis Winery & Vineyard on a Friday night, August 15, 2008 and benefit the animals of Sonoma County. This fundraiser for the Humane Society and SPCA of Sonoma County includes
a full gourmet dinner, local wines and brews, live music, auctions, and
more. The cost is $95-$125 per person, but that’s a bargain for the
ambiance and great food and drink. Sorry, no dogs.

August 6, 2008