Golden memories

Last winter, a woman named Jude contacted us about buying Golden Retriever Christmas ornaments from us. When she received them in the mail, she told me a bit more about why they are so important to her. Six months later, I still think about what she told me. And thought that it was worth sharing with you:

“Years ago, we ordered lots of the Golden Retriever Chardonnay. My husband saved one of the empty bottles and he will NEVER dispose of it. I believe we have ONE bottle in the wine cellar, which will probably forever stay there. The year following we lost our girl precious Golden, Doral. When Father's Day came around, and Doral's Birthday, my husband opened the wine to celebrate her life, but there were LOTS of tears. Now it's easier with our new little girl in our lives, and we think of Doral with more smiles now than tears. That "lone bottle" in the wine cellar, as I said, will remain in her memory.”

 

 

Doral, Jude's beloved Golden Retriever

 

Torrey, Jude's new Golden puppy

As a side note, the blog is going to be taking a bit of a break, while I go get married. Have a wonderful two weeks everyone, and you'll be hearing from me on the 25th!

Summer safety tips for your Loyal Companion

Summer is pretty much here. With all that excitement and fun, we need to remember to give our best friend a little extra TLC. So here are a few tips to help make sure your dog has a safe and happy summer:

•  Never ever leave your dog in a hot car. Even if it's only 80 degrees outside, it can get up to 120 degrees in the car.
• Dogs can get sunburned, especially ones with short hair or light colored fur. Be sure to limit your dog's exposure to the sun when it is especially hot outside. It never hurts to protect your dog by putting sunscreen on his ears and nose before going out. 
• If you're going to the ocean or a beach, keep in mind that salt water is bad for your dog's coat. Wash him off after going swimming to avoid damaging his fur.
• Swimming is great exercise for dogs, but it takes a lot of energy. If your dog is playing in water, keep an eye on him in case he starts to get tired.
• Heat stroke can be a serious problem -- especially for dogs with short faces like pugs and bulldogs. Keep an eye out for excessive panting, dark or bright red gums and tongue, staggering and other signs of weakness. If your dog starts to suffer from heat stroke, take him to the vet immediately. Use cool water, not ice water, to help him cool down. 
• Be careful about your dog's paws on asphalt or sand -- it can get very hot and burn your dog's feet. Try to limit walks and runs to the mornings or evenings when it's cooler out.

This is only a partial list. Be sure to be smart, ask your vet about any questions or concerns you have.And have a great summer everyone!

First Fridays

One of the greatest benefits of sharing an office with an art gallery is the First Friday Art Walk. From April through December, we open our doors on the first Friday of the month, and invite anyone passing by to come in, see Jay's artwork and enjoy a glass of wine and a small snack. Sometimes we invite a special guest, such as Sadie, the arson dog who was one of winners at last year's Hero Dog Awards, or Richard Berrelez, the founder of the Alie Foundation -- one of our charity partners.

Here are some photos from previous First Fridays:

Lucky's owner and Cru Vin Dogs friend, Randi with Austin, a firefighter and artist

Mary, Jay, and Bill presenting a check to the Alie Foundation based on the sales of Yogi

Bill from a few years back

Be sure to stop by the gallery (1500 S Pearl) tomorrow between 4pm and 8pm. We'd love to see you there!

Cru Vin Dads

It's hard to believe it's almost June and that means that Father's day is just around the corner!

As a family business, Cru Vin Dogs has extra appreciation of Dad. Two of our founders are fantastic fathers to both their human and furry children.

Chairman Bill Foss with his lab, Maya, the puppy found on our first Puppy Series Sauvignon Blanc

Artist Jay Snellgrove was so taken with the little Blue Heeler depicted on our Shiraz-Grenache-Mouvedre blend that the dog, now named Binder, became a member of the Snellgrove household.



Because this year is going by so fast, we're getting a little bit ahead of the game and starting our Father's Day sale a little early. Say "I'm lucky to have a dad like you" with a bottle of Lucky Cabernet-Merlot neatly wrapped in a Cru Vin Dogs gift bag, only $21.99 through Father's Day. Or prove that you remember those childhood lessons with a Lucky coaster pack -- a bottle of our Cabernet-Merlot and two Lucky coasters, just $34.99.

Feel like you really need to tell Dad he's the best? Give him a bottle of our Best in Show Pinot Noir or Best in Show Cabernet Sauvignon. But be sure to hurry, there are only a few bottles left!

Cru Vin Dogs summer dinner

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!

Today I wanted to let you guys know about an upcoming event we have in Denver. It's a start of summer, Cru Vin Dogs dinner benefiting Canine Companions for Independence. We had one last year and it was tons of fun. So if you're around on June 3rd, you should come by and say hello!

Here are the details:

Join the Highland Garden Café on June 3^rd from 4 to 7 for an event benefiting Canine Companions for Independence.

Spend a lovely summer afternoon on the patio at 3927 West 32^nd Avenue enjoying the wonderful wines of Cru Vin Dogs and a light buffet!

Meet representatives, both human and canine, from Canine Companions for Independence, as well as Cru Vin Dogs artist Jay Snellgrove and Cru Vin Dogs president Mary Snellgrove

Please bring a $25 donation, children under 10 are free. To find out more information visit the website www.highlandsgardencafe.com. To RSVP call: 303.458.5920

If you can't make it that evening, stop by Highlands Garden Cafe any night this summer, they'll be featuring all of our wines by the glass as part of their "Some angels have wings, others have tails" summer special!

We have a winner!

The votes are in…

Charley is the winner!

Charley is a four year old chocolate Lab with an amazing story. When he was two years old, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer). He lost one of his front legs, but none of his enthusiasm for life. He runs, jumps and counter-surfs.

Ellen, Charley’s mom, says, “Charley reminds us every day to cherish life and to enjoy each and every day… he is living with cancer, not dying from cancer!” 

Second place went to a beautiful Husky named Morgan.

Third place went to Sherak, an Afghan Mastiff, who was rescued by Reese, a Seattleite working in Afghanistan.

And while we didn't have a prize for fourth place, I want to give some TLC to Brixton, the retired Canine Companions for Independence lab who has helped raise five CCI puppies. His mom, Brenda, truly understands the concept behind Cru Vin Dogs -- she has decided to donate one dollar to CCI for every vote that Brixton received. Thanks, Brenda!

Thank you so much for everyone who participated. We had such a wonderful time hearing the stories and seeing the photos of all the participants. If you missed out this round, there will definitely be more competitions in the future, so keep your ears perked.Just be sure to like us on Facebook!

Peaches -- a Loyal Companion

Today I wanted to share with you a story that was sent to us from Mary, a Cru Vin Dogs supporter:

"Our Peaches is a poodle mix. She was found one day locked in a tennis court at a college.
She had dreadlocks where curls were to be and sad brown eyes.  The vet said she was malnourished and must have lived on garbage by the way the bones were protruding.   So my daughter, Kristy,  took her in, and with love and care they are the best of friends. . . and what a beautiful dog she is!

Now this loyal companion had no idea that once Kristy saved her life that very soon Peaches would return the favor. . .  Kristy was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in June of last year.  She has gone through chemo (12 rounds) and radiation (18 rounds) and through it all Peaches was her saving grace.  Peaches would not leave Kristy’s side.  Day or night, she let us know they are a team!  When I would bring Kristy home from her appointments Peaches would greet her with a bone or other treat and talk to her as only she can.  Yes I did say talk!  It always made Kristy and anyone else around laugh.  Laughter  IS  the best medicine!  By her side she would stay.

They say a dog gives unconditional love . . . our loyal companion goes above and beyond!"

Thank you, Mary, for sharing your story with us.  If you have a story to share, please email it to info@cruvindogs.com and be sure to include a photo.

And to all of you who entered your loyal companion into our photo contest, tomorrow is the *last day* to vote. So make sure all your friends and family have helped support your loyal companion.

Also, for those of you in California, our marketing and charity accounts manager, Amber Grove, will be on Pet Lounge on Saturday, talking about Cru Vin Dogs wine and our relationship with Canine Companions for Independence. So if you're in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange, Pheonix or Las Vegas, tune into Cox Cable Channel 4 our Time Warner Channel 4 at 5.30pm to see Amber's television debut!