Our wineries are going to the dogs—but make no mistake, these dogs are lovers. Although they serve to guard the wineries’ liquid assets, their more important role is that of ambassador, greeting guests with a warm welcome and a wag of their tail. Tasting world-class wines amid beautiful vineyards just got even more fun.
MAYBEL
Guardian’s Name: Judy and Jerry Ross, Ross Vineyards
Occupation: Tasting barn mascot
Pet Peeve: Lizards
Hobby: Chasing and nose-bumping balloons
Favorite Treat: Hot dogs
Claim to Fame: Being in my friend, Bev’s, column
Greatest Feat: Providing joy to wine tasting visitors
Most Spectacular Commotion: Trying to bluff the ranch deer
CHICO (AKA: CHICIBEAR)
Pedigree: Papillon mix
Guardian’s Name: Jackie Starkovich, Martin Ranch Winery
Occupation: Winery love bug
Pet Peeve: Plastic bags blowing in the wind
Hobby: Being cuddled
Favorite Treat: Chicken and the cat’s food
Claim to Fame: Everybody’s favorite cuddle dog
Greatest Feat: Being super cute
ROXANNA
Pedigree: Boxer
Guardian’s Name: Alan Dewitt, Guglielmo Winery
Occupation: Vineyard surveillance
Pet Peeve: Loud noises, mean people, puncture vine
Hobby: Chasing rabbits
Favorite Treat: Chicken/beef/pork—about equal in her book
Claim to Fame: Never met a winery guest she didn’t like
Greatest Feat: Ran down a deer in the vineyard
Most Spectacular Disaster: Roxanna is disaster adverse and goes the other way when there is trouble.
CUTTER (left) and BOOMER
Pedigree: Brittany spaniels
Guardian’s Name: John Aver, Aver Family Vineyards
Occupation: Vineyard security
Pet Peeve: Not enough treats
Hobby: Riding in trucks
Favorite Treat: Whatever’s in John’s hand
Greatest Feat: Cutter jumped a six-foot fence in a single leap
Most Spectacular Disaster: Boomer survived a rattlesnake bite and Cutter tried to make friends with the skunks
BEAU
Pedigree: Mix
Guardian’s Name: Mario, Hecker Pass Winery
Occupation: Winery greeter/night watch dog
Pet Peeve: Police sirens
Hobby: Loving everybody to death
Favorite Treat: Tasting-room crackers
Claim to Fame: Protector of small dogs
Most Spectacular Commotion: So friendly that neighbors would call to come pick him up.
MILLIE
Pedigree: Highly evolved mongrel
Guardian’s Name: Tom and Karen Kruse, Thomas Kruse Winery
Occupation: Winery greeting dog
Pet Peeve: Ground squirrels
Hobby: Keeping track of the people she in charge of
Favorite Treat: Homemade German nut cookies
Claim to Fame: The dubious aspect of her arrival in the United States from Australia in a cargo plane
Greatest Feat: Realizing that the packages that Tom sets out are a bait to lure the UPS man here so she can get in her tough girl act. Millie thinks Tom is an amazing trapper
Most Spectacular Commotion: Locking herself in a visitors’ bathroom for the better part of a day so Tom and Karen couldn’t find her for a long time
FIONA (AKA: FEE-FEE)
Guardian’s Name: Sandy and Tom Moller, Satori Cellars
Dog’s Occupation: Sleeping and barking
Dog’s Pet Peeve: Folks who don’t give treats
Hobby: Stealing shoes
Favorite Treat: Anything edible, or that might possibly be edible. Actually anything …
Claim to Fame: Never met anyone (with food) she didn’t absolutely love
Greatest Feat: Four out of 10 diving score into pool
Most Spectacular Disaster: Taking a shoe, a table cloth and everything on the table for a walk around the vineyard
WRIGLEY
Pedigree: Silver Labrador
Guardian’s Names: Jason and Janu, Jason-Stephens Winery
Occupation: In between jobs
Pet Peeve: Woody Allen movies
Hobby: Trying to drown his owner
Favorite Treat: Turmeric chicken and rice
Claim to Fame: Owns best wine in town
Greatest Feat: Moved to California from Arkansas
Most Spectacular Disaster: Kitchen floor removal
DIESEL
Guardian’s Name: Aaron Newell and Sarah Peterson, Creekview Vineyards
Occupation: Security guard/squirrel hunter
Pet Peeve: Sitting on hard surfaces
Hobby: Eating wine grapes during harvest and begging from wine tasters
Favorite Treat: Human food
Claim to Fame: Diesel was the featured Dog of the Month on a Dachshund website in September 2012
Greatest Feat: Diesel ate an entire year’s supply of heartguard medication and survived!
Most Spectacular Disaster: De-fluffed a couch cushion
BUTTERS
Pedigree: Airedale terrier
Guardian: Adam Pagnani, Rapazzini Winery
Occupation: Handles all the complaints
Pet Peeve: Slamming garbage can lid and dogs on TV
Hobby: Yelling at the TV when her dad is trying to watch a movie
Favorite Treat: Sunday morning ham and eggs brunch with Aunt Joan
Claim to Fame: Chick magnet
Greatest Feat: Running full speed into the TV to catch a dog. She almost got it, but the TV stopped her
Most Spectacular Disaster: Chewing on three separate pairs of Bose headphones
MAXIE and MACY
Pedigree: Rescue dog; Golden retriever
Guardian’s Name: Tim Slater, Sarah’s Vineyard
Occupation: Ground squirrel slayer; Keeper of burrs and foxtails
Pet Peeve: Children; Vultures and large birds
Hobby: Late night vineyard patrol; Stealing shoes
Favorite Treat: Chicken, fish or beef—she’s not choosy; Bananas
Claim to Fame: Found a large box of doggie bones in the garage and secretly snacked on them for a month before being detected; Long flowing hair
Greatest Feat: Figured out how to lower the car window so she can stick her head out; Eating six entire whole grain muffins and four muffin tops out of the pan of Christmas muffins sitting on a countertop, without knocking down the pan
Most Spectacular Disaster: Confronted a skunk and lost, three times in one month, and still has not learned the lesson; Charged through the open sliding door of a neighbor’s house into the kitchen during their breakfast and grabbed some bacon from the hand of a surprised stranger
VINO
Pedigree: Labrador mix
Guardian’s Name: Roy Froom and Kim Schlaefer, Clos LaChance Winery
Occupation: Jeep co-pilot
Pet Peeve: Not having Kim by his side 24/7
Hobby: Long hikes with Roy and Kim
Favorite Treat: His red ball
Claim to Fame: Graduate of UC Davis Vet program with honors
Greatest Feat: Managed to get rescued from a kill shelter with manners and grace
Most Spectacular Disaster: Pees when too excited
RED (right) and YELLER
Pedigree: Fox red Labrador/English pointer mix
Guardian’s Name: Jess Castillo, Castillo’s Hillside Shire Winery
Occupation: Bird hunter, especially pheasant, and he can run like the wind; Office mascot
Pet Peeve: Yeller (his puppy son) chewing on his ears; People who come at him to quickly as he can be a bit shy with strangers
Hobby: Swimming/cuddling
Favorite Treat: People food/rugby ball; Squeaky toys and people food
Claim to Fame: Part rebel, part lover—not a fighter; Shakes hands already, very easygoing
Greatest Feat: Pheasant hunting and outdoing all of the other trained hunting dogs at only 4 months of age; Being a perfect puppy—too good to be true
Most Spectacular Commotion: Running away; Swallowing a bone whole
PRINCESS
Pedigree: King Charles spaniel
Guardian’s Name: Carolyn Aver, Aver Family Vineyards
Occupation: Lap dog
Pet Peeve: Too small to be a vineyard dog
Hobby: Riding in the ATV with John
Favorite Treat: Cream cheese and/or ricotta cheese
Most Spectacular Disaster: Ate a plastic ear plug and had to go to the hospital
JAQUIE (left) and ANDY
Guardian’s Name: Jayme Nunn, Pietra Santa
Occupation: Greeter; Andy is the hit man, killing mice and gophers
Pet Peeve: UPS truck doesn’t have treats; Having to run up the hill
Favorite Hobby: Stealing food from employee barbecues; Chasing wild turkeys
Favorite Treat: Carrots; Blueberries
Claim to Fame: Fastest run; best smile
Greatest Feat/Most Spectacular Disaster: Jaquie went swimming in the winery pond and was unable to get out. She had to be rescued. Andy showed his kill to the lady banker from San Francisco; the large gopher was dropped at her feet and she was not amused
TALLY
Pedigree: Border collie
Guardian’s Name: Jackie Starkovich, Martin Ranch Winery
Occupation: Winery greeter Monday through Friday
Pet Peeve: Trucks—especially diesel trucks! Look out, she’s a tire biter!
Hobby: Playing ball
Favorite Treat: Playing ball
Claim to Fame: Playing ball
Greatest Feat: The most-focused ball playing dog ever
