Before people buy your wine, they want to pet your dog. Alex Sokol Blosser has accepted this.
"I don't know why—it's gotta be that when you go to a farm, you expect to see a dog," he says. "It's pretty crazy, though. People get out of the car and say, 'Do you have a dog?'"
Up runs Andre. The yellow Labrador has roamed the Sokol Blosser spread—86 acres of organic grapes beside other notable Willamette Valley vineyards like Eyrie, Domaine Drouhin and Archery Summit—for 13 years.
Oddly, winery dogs are a big deal. There are dueling books on the subject. Wine Dogs, published in Napa, includes photos and essays from noted wine writers Robert Parker and Huon Hooke. Winery Dogs prints four regional editions, including an Oregon book featuring Andre. Oh, and there's also a wine dog calendar.
Sokol Blosser, a second-generation vintner tending pinot vines planted in 1971 on what was then a dilapidated fruit orchard, thinks people appreciate a little slobber. "In the wine industry, we do a good job of taking ourselves too seriously, so sometimes dogs help bring it down to earth," he says. "You arrive at these fancy places, but when you've got a dog taking a leak in the middle, it just brings it down a notch."
Andre will hopefully get a few pets this Memorial Day weekend, the 22nd anniversary of the Willamette Valley's biggest party of the year. More than 150 wineries will open their doors, including many small farms without public tasting rooms.
"I don't let Andre out as much anymore, because he can't see as well so he starts barking at people," Sokol Blosser says. "But he's a very good boy."
If you do see Andre, keep your cheese plate close. "El Bandito" is a master poacher, once swiping from a meal prepared by well-known local chef Greg Higgins. "He's an old dog. He can't jump up on tables anymore, so things are pretty safe," Sokol Blosser says.
Andre
also doesn't play much fetch at age 13—that's about 90 in human
years—but he's still romping around. It's a ruff life, but someone's
gotta charm the customers and do quality control. "The vet always says
don't let your dog eat grapes, but Andre eats grapes like crazy," Sokol
Blosser says. "Maybe it's the grapes that do it for him."
GO: Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country is Saturday-Monday, May 26-28, throughout the Willamette Valley. Info at willamettewines.com. Meet Andre at Sokol Blosser Winery, 5000 NE Sokol Blosser Lane, Dayton, 864-2282, sokolblosser.com. 10 am-4 pm daily. Tasting fee $15.
Headout Picks
THURSDAY MAY 24
FRIDAY MAY 25
SATURDAY MAY 26
MONDAY MAY 28
WWeek 2015