My Pittsburgh regional food and wine correspondent, aka Mom, reports that the cheekily named Chlilean wine, Royal Bitch Chardonnay is quite lovely. Minnesota oenephile, Doug Fridley blogs its praises too – calling it “crisp and racey” without that “toasty oak” flavor of California Chardonnays. Sounds nice.
Mom wasn’t that keen on the Royal Bitch Merlot – too acidic, she thought. Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours
concurs, saying it looked like Welch’s grape juice and smelled of “turpentine funk.”
Recently my mother sent me a link to a wonderful website called The Naked Vine where Mike from Kentucky blogs his “wine advice for the rest of us.” The link she sent was entitled “For Jesse” on the one-year passing of Mike’s Chocolate Lab (above).
Mike has several great dog art wines to share along with reviews and excellent ideas for food pairings. Check out his blog to learn more (and read some hilarious stories about Jessie devouring steaks off the counter and drinking a bottle of wine.) Here are the wines he features in her honor:
Dog House “Checker’s Cab” Cabernet Sauvignon.
Finnigan’s Lake “Fin” Chardonnay. (I included the Cabernet Sauvingnon label too since they looked nice together.)
McNab Ridge “Fred’s Red” Syrah/Zinfandel blend.
Mike also features Vinum Cellars’s “Pets” Petit Sirah which I posted last month.
Thinking about the popularity of dogs and wine, I’m going to steal a quote from Ovid atop The Naked Vine’s Home page: “When there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry take wing.” The same can be said about dogs 🙂
Thanks, Mom. Keep the tips coming!
In vintner jargon Pets is short for Petite Sirah. So when it came time name this vintage, Vinum Cellars’s owners Chris Condos and Richard Bruno dedicated it to their friend, grape grower Ken Wilson and his dog Tanker. And they christened it Pets.
I love the bold red and black design of this label. It has the feel of a classic Italian movie poster. The wine’s description is wonderful too…”Dark colored, long legged and bold, we feel this wine has the potential of becoming your best friend.” Just like your favorite pet.
Order a bottle ($14.00) and toast the dog days of summer. (A portion of the profits from this wine’s sales are donated to the San Francisco SPCA).
Jaffurs Wine Cellar’s Cane Felice (Happy Dog in Italian) is a great gift for dads who like handcrafted wines with an emphasis on fun. Made from the Tuscan Sangiovese grape and bottled with a handy screw cap – perfect for picnicking – this 2005 vintage features a darling dog label by one of my favorite dog artists, Rebecca Collins of Art Paw. And a portion of the proceeds go to the Santa Barbara Animal Shelter. Contact Jaffurs to order yours. Only 200 cases available — drink happy!