San Francisco Vintner's Market

Last month, Colorado sales rep Casey Wright spent a weekend in San Francisco helping out at the “Try it, buy it” Vintner’s Market. Around 6,500 people attended the two day event at Fort Mason. People wandered through the crowds trying wines from hundreds of different vendors and buying their favorites on the spot. Casey was joined by North California sales rep, Jeanine Mack-Velez, and winemaker, Tony Wasowicz.

Here’s what Casey had to say about the experience:

The event gave me a great opportunity to see what the California market is like and experience the great responses to our mission at Cru Vin Dogs. There were about 4,500 attendees the first day – it was wall to wall. We spent the day with a “five deep” line, talking about our wines, tasting consumers and connecting with dog and wine lovers.  The day was fun but intense and, boy, did it go by quickly.

Sunday was a bit calmer with only 2,000 people. It gave us a better chance to really explain our mission to each person and get more quality time with our supporters.

Tony, Jeanine, Oahu, Casey, and Debbie

We were also lucky enough to have Canine Companion for Independence volunteer, Debbie, join us with the beautiful service dog, Oahu. CCI is local to California, so it was wonderful to have them present at the event. Debbie and Oahu spent a lot of time wandering around the crowd telling people about Cru Vin Dogs and CCI. The sight of Oahu brought so many people over to our table, including some other CCI volunteers. The attendees were excited to see a dog at the tasting and it helped them to understand how Cru Vin Dogs gives back.

The weekend gave me the opportunity to spend a lot of time talking the actual Cru Vin Dogs consumers, which I don’t always get to do on a day to day basis. Hearing their feedback, how much they love our wines and our labels, and listening to them share their stories about their dogs reminded me of why I am so passionate about Cru Vin Dogs and the work that I do.

The whole weekend was a fantastic experience – it gave me the chance to see a different part of the sales world. I hope to participate in more events like this one in the future!

Furry Scurry followup

Saturday's Furry Scurry was a great success. We met tons of great people and dogs, and had a wonderful time talking about Cru Vin Dogs wines.

Here are some photos from the event.

Sasha and me, ready to represent Cru Vin Dogs!

Colorado sales rep Casey talking to one of the many participants

Sasha making friends with a Dumb Friends League kitty

Cru Vin portraits and wines on display at our tent

A pup enjoying the perks of the Furry Scurry

Cru Vin President Mary Snellgrove

An uncomfortable but important surprise for Sasha. Vets were present to administer microchips for just $45 with half of the cost going to the Dumb Friends League!

This *adorable* dog is Scarlett. She's still up for adoption at the Dumb Friends League's Quebec shelter. Someone please adopt her before I have to!

Did you attend the Furry Scurry? Share your photos and stories with us on our Facebook wall or send them to info@cruvindogs.com.

A different Loyal Companion story

Our Key account Manager, Will, sent this video around the office today and I thought it was so moving, I wanted to share it with all of you.



Do you have special stories about a dog in your life? Please share them in the comments or email them to info@cruvindogs.com.



Also, I wanted to let you know that next week is "Be Kind to Animals Week". Our friend Betty White is working hard to get the word out. Please take a minute and visit the website to find out more:

Furry Scurry fun!

One of Cru Vin Dogs favorite events of the year is happening this Saturday. 

It’s the 19^th annual Furry Scurry!

The Furry Scurry is a two mile walk in Wash Park that benefits the Dumb Friends League. And for the second year in a row, Cru Vin Dogs is a part of it!

Photo courtesy of the Dumb Friends League

Last year, Cru Vin Dogs showcased the not-yet-released Loyal Companion wines at the Furry Scurry. These wines are part of our “Save a Life, Pour It Forward” movement – where we encourage people to share the Loyal Companion Chardonnay and Red Blend with their friends and family, knowing that they are helping a canine friend in need. For every bottle sold, $0.50 goes back to a local animal shelter. In the Denver metro area that charity is the Dumb Friends League and in 2011 we donated over $4,600 to them based on the sales of The Loyal Companion!

It’s not just the charities who have noticed the wines: The Loyal Companion Red Blend has received 88 points and “Best Buy” status from Wine Enthusiast. It also received a gold medal from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The Chardonnay has received a bronze medal from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and 88 points from Food & Beverage World.  

This year, we are going even further by promoting the Furry Scurry with the Loyal Companion Feature. You can help the Dumb Friends League, even if you can’t attend the actual Furry Scurry -- just look for this smiling face in the windows and wine stacks at your favorite restaurant or liquor store. Pick up a bottle of the Loyal Companion wines at any of those locations and $0.50 of every bottle will help support the 19th annual Furry Scurry. Click here to see a list of participating restaurants and retailers. 

If you are attending the Furry Scurry, be sure to stop by our booth and say "hello".

For more information on the Furry Scurry, please visit ddfl.org.  

Everyone needs a little TLC

Happy Thursday! Hope everyone is having a good week. 

I wanted to let you all know about a little competition we have going on at our Facebook page.

Here’s the idea:

You post a photo of your dog, tell us why he or she is your Loyal Companion, ask your friends and family to vote for your photo, and you could win a case of wine and a donation to the charity of your choice!

The person whose submitted photo receives the most “likes” will get a case of The Loyal Companion wine and $100 donation to their favorite dog charity. There are also great prizes for second and third place.

We’ve had a lot of great submissions so far and people are having tons of fun telling us all about their adorable pups.

Here are a few of my personal favorite submissions:

Charley is a cancer survivor. He runs, jumps, and plays on his three legs with the vigor of a puppy.

  

Brixton is a retired Canine Companion for Independence who now helps raise other CCI puppies.

This one is just fun. If there are two things I love (beside wine, of course) it’s snow dogs and basketball.

Which photos are your favorites? Have you voted already? Which one did you choose and why? Did you submit your own dog to the contest? Make sure you tell your friends and family to vote for your pooch!

Have a great weekend everyone and be sure to check out our Facebook contest!

We're back!

Welcome (back) to the Cru Vin Dogs blog!

Jenn's dog, Sasha, visiting the gallery

 

Just a few months into 2012, and it is shaping up to be a huge year for our wine group. Considering all the exciting developments that have happened recently, we thought there was no better time to re-launch the blog.

We are dedicating this space to better developing a relationship with you, our supporters and friends. Here you will find tales from our events and experiences and updates on any happenings with Cru Vin Dogs. There will be information about our wines, charity partners, crew members, wine education, and useful information for you and your furry friend. 

We want to share stories about how we are “Pouring It Forward” – giving back to our canine companions and the people who help them. We also want to share your stories – how you found us, how you are “Pouring It Forward”, why our wines matter to you, and what makes your dog special.

Cru Vin Dogs prides itself in being more than your average winery – we’re not just about selling delicious wines -- we’re about fine art, giving back to canine causes, and community. This blog is an opportunity not just for you to learn more about us, but for us to learn more about you. Please feel free to email us any stories you have or send us questions or comments. We would love to hear from you and would love to share your tales with the rest of the Cru Vin Dogs community. Email us at info@cruvindogs.com, and remember, if you’re talking about your canine companion, it always helps to include a photo.

Cheers!

"A Bird Story" by Tony Wasowicz

A couple of weeks ago I was walking my Whippets (Devo & Jimi) around the neighborhood when we were suddenly stopped in our tracks by the sight and sound of around a dozen extremely agitated crows in the trees above us, staring down at us and squawking wildly. Crows are quite common in this neck of the woods (northern California) but I’d never seen them make such a commotion. After stopping and standing and staring back at them a minute or two we moved on. But a few steps later both dogs and I jumped back as a small, but furious, crow hissed and snapped at us from behind a small shrub along the sidewalk.

We backed away and crossed the street and continued our stroll. It was a classically beautiful Sonoma County evening – the fog was rolling in and you could smell the sea -- but I found that I had lost all appreciation for it. I kept thinking about that bird. I knew that the crow was injured and I knew it wouldn’t be long before a cat came along and discovered an easy meal. It was very tempting to try to forget the whole incident and get on with my busy day but I simply could not. I turned and walked the dogs quickly back home.

Not knowing exactly where to turn I leafed through the phone book until I found the answer – Bird Rescue Center. Perfect, I thought. I felt a bit smug as I dialed the number. I was taking the time to help an injured animal. I was going out of my way to do the right thing.

The lady at Bird Rescue was both pleasant but business-like. I described the situation and she immediately diagnosed it as a fledgling crow that likely wasn’t so successful on its first flight from the nest. But then she surprised me.

“Can you secure the bird?” she asked.

“What?” I said. “Ummm, well… I found it on a walk. It’s several miles away.”

“You need to get a pillow case and carefully secure the bird and bring it to us.” She responded.

I have to admit that I was taken aback. I guess I expected a hearty “Thanks!” and assurance that a bird expert would be dispatched immediately to get the bird, nurse it back to health and release it happily back to the wilds. It seems like that’s how it works in the movies, anyway.

I think the lady sensed my disappointment. “I’m sorry. We have very few volunteers.” she told me. This, of course, makes perfect sense. Who in the world has the time and energy and desire to drop everything at a moment’s notice, drive around picking injured birds up off the sidewalk and nurse them back to health for a few weeks? And do it for free?

So I found an old pillow case and hopped in my truck and secured the bird. Then I drove it out to the Santa Rosa Bird Rescue Center. Wow – what a cool place! It’s a small operation with a very homey feel to it. Inside there’s some fun and informative displays on various local birds. Out back there are numerous large cages filled with recovering and resident hawks, owls, vultures and a sleek and shiny peregrine falcon. The fledgling crow I dropped off was deposited in a cage with other crows in a similar predicament. They would be hand fed several times a day and released when able to fly.

I went back to the Center the next week for an open house and met many of the volunteers. I filled out a membership card and wrote them a check. And now I’m hoping to help organize a fundraiser in the fall. Now, I’m not writing this to congratulate myself. Like everyone, I’ve used the excuse of too busy, too tired, too broke many, many times. In my case it took a wounded little bird on the sidewalk to remind me that there’s a lot more to life than work and bills and my next vacation.

So what does this blog have to do with winemaking and vineyards? Well, look at it this way – think of how much more amazing that first sip of wine is going to taste at the end of the day if you’ve tried your best to help others and be a good person.

Cheers!

Tony


P.S. I had a bottle of the 2006 Cru Vin Dogs Chardonnay last night. It was KILLER!

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