Dog of Wine

Winedog2

I have to admit upfront that I was completely prepared for this book to be filled with those schlocky, wince-inducing pictures of dogs dressed up as firemen, Liza Minelli and Rhett Butler. You know the kind of things I’m I’m talking about.

Winedog
Yet, to my surprise, Wine Dogs: USA Edition was a substantial volume filled with really remarkable and beautiful photography of those dogs that grace the grounds of wineries across America. The book itself is very well made with heavy binding and substantial paper to hold the photography. Bottom line: It’s a keeper.

I can’t imagine how long it took to prepare this book. It’s not as thoughWinedog3
winery owners sent in photos of their pets for publication. Rather, the authors and publisher went about photographing each dog, rarely with owners in the photo. Littered throughout the book are short articles on the relationship between dogs and wineries, winemakers and dogs by some very interesting wine folk including Robert Parker Jr, Dan Berger, Bruce Cass, Cole
Danehower, Harvey Posert, Darryl Roberts, Joshua Greene, and others. In the end, however, Wine Dogs: USA Editon is about the dogs, their personalities and exceptional photography.

Wow…hard to believe it’s been over two years before I recommended in this blog a book about dogs.

Wine Dogs: USA Edition ($39.00)—Giant Dog Publishing

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7 Responses

  1. farley - January 23, 2007

    Myself being more of a cat person, I wouldn’t run out and get it. But if the writing is as good as you say and as eloquent and touching as this post:
    http://columbiawineblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/of-wine-and-dogs.html
    by John at Brim to the Dregs, then it might be worth a look…

  2. Barrld - January 23, 2007

    Tom–thanks for the tip. The Delectus folks made a cult figure out of their dog Flash who passed away recently.
    Couple of new blogs for you to consider–wannabewino.blogspot.com
    barrld.blogspot.com
    The last one is mine.
    Cheers, Tim

  3. wineboffin - January 23, 2007

    Everytime dogs and wine are associated together I’m reminded of Jonathan Nossiter’s ‘Mondovino’ and the wandering camera following the various winery dog’s running around.

  4. Dezel - January 23, 2007

    Hi Tom,
    I flipped through that book this weekend at Windham Winery; great book and great idea!
    Just about every winery I visit has a winery dog, who when not chasing deer away from the vines are just there to be your pal in hopes of you dropping some nibbles on the ground.
    One in particular, Lucy, who is Windham winery dog and in the book will put those light brown eyes on you until you give her a treat.
    The book is a tad pricey I thought, but albeit a very nice piece worth owning.
    Happy Sipping!
    Dezel

  5. Lenn - January 24, 2007

    I saw this book at Waters Crest Winery locally…awesome book and I wondered where I could get a copy.
    Dezel is right though…for $40 you expect it to be a larger format…more of a coffee table size book, no?
    I did a story on LI wine dogs a couple years ago..such a cool thing.

  6. David Graves - January 25, 2007

    So, are you trying a paraphrase of Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar,
    “Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war”? I actually liked this book more than I thought I might–and in the spirit of full disclosure, my own two Borderline Collies are in another wine/dog book featuring pooches of the Napa Valley

  7. tom - January 26, 2007

    David:
    Close. It was a play on words that feebly attempted to reference the song “God of wine”. However, I like the Shakespearean reference better….So,yes…that’s exactly what I was trying to do.


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