Four Puppies: a Very Friendly Wine

On my last trip to Northern California, I literally stumbled upon The Wine Room in Kenwood. I started visiting tasting rooms early that morning, so stumbling was the best I could accomplish. At any rate, The Wine Room is a retail tasting room that fronts for several wineries, among them The Friendly Dog Winery. As we know, I'm a sucker for a good label and have eight dogs of my own, so I knew I would be going home with some Friendly Dog wine.

Currently, there are 5 bottles that pay homage to various famous dogs at the winery. You can select favorites like "Bingo," "Barney I" or "Barney II." I tasted all of the wines during my visit to The Wine Room, but remember very little of those tastings. It was very early, remember, and I had not enjoyed lunch, yet. I do recall leaving with a few bottles, though, because I liked the labels and noticed them again when I sobered up.

I heartily recommend Four Puppies, and not just for the cute label. It's called a "Muttage" to magnify the "cute" factor, but it is really a Bordeaux blended with Sangiovese. I'm sure that I enjoyed this wine at The Wine Room since I bought two bottles, but I really enjoyed the wine yesterday with friends. We are all of the "cute label, let's buy the wine" persuasion, so everyone got a kick out of the 4 Sheppard puppies on the bottle. We also enjoyed the full fruity flavor of this medium bodied red. It's got a big bouquet and pleased everyone's nose. One friend found it dry, but I don't agree. It's very mellow and slippery on the tongue. It's a Bordeaux, so it was a young wine and didn't have the dryness that I associate with Cabernets. It paired very well with the blue cheese burgers we enjoyed, as well as the spicy appetizers. I nibbled on Irish cheddar for my first glass, then filled my cup for my "burger course."

I recommend finding a "Forever Home" for these puppies and rescue a bottle or two for yourself. It's a very friendly wine that pleases.