Stop by Thursday and Friday October 16th and 17th - This Thursday and Friday We pour Cru Vin Dogs wine from 4:00pm-6:30pm, Visit with Anne (former wine manager at HWLM) To taste wines from Cru Vin Dogs! Cru Vin Dogs 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand The puppy series is Cru Vin Dog's everyday line of wines, featuring images of popular breeds when they are puppies. A fresh zesty New Zealand sauvignon blanc. The palate is filled with flavors of fresh cut pink grapefruit and tangerines. Polished acidity for a Kiwi sauvignon blanc, with a hint of honeysuckle on the mid-palate. The finish offers a hint of jalapeno pepper and jasmine flowers. Classic new world sauvignon blanc, the perfect summer sipper or pair for grilled fish or steamed shellfish. Cru Vin Dogs 2005 Chardonnay, Dry Creek, California Allow this wine to open a little to enjoy its layered complexity. This creamy, rich palate is splashed with notes of allspice, fig, hazelnuts, and butterscotch. The mid-plate sparks with mouthwatering notes of mineral, anise, and lemon oil. It is lighter bodied than most California style chardonnay, making its smooth, elegant style much more versatile with food and different palates. The finish show more creamy tones with complementary flavors of key lime zest. Cru Vin Dogs 2006 Chardonnay, Dry Creek, California Aromas of anise on the nose carry over to the palate. Flavors of orange blossom, fennel, and lime peel fill the palate. The mid-palate is creamy with hints of flan and poached pear. Soft profile, with a lingering finish of pineapple and macaroons. A very special Dijon selection of chardonnay grapes shows in this wine. It is 100% Dry Creek Valley fruit. Cru Vin Dogs Lucky 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, California A beautiful Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a splash of Cabernet Franc. Truly a winemaker’s dream—complex fruit flavors with well balanced tannin and acidity. Experiencing how a great wine opens and blossoms during a good meal is one of life’s finest pleasures. As for “Lucky,” consider how the dark cherry, boysenberry and smoky plum aromas expand and intensify; how the red currant, pomegranate and cranberry flavors ripen in the glass as notes of floral and spice are gradually revealed. Lastly, take time to revel in the finish—a seemingly endless array of fresh-crushed pure California fruits with hints of smoky cedar, dark chocolate and dried blueberries. Cru Vin Dogs 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah, North Coast, California This wine is the first of Cru Vin Dogs Portrait Series. Yogi, a police officer, graces this label. As a member of a K-9 Unit, he was invaluable in tracking down evidence and people for eight years with the Aurora police department. Read more about Yogi. The fruit is sourced from Napa and Sonoma. Soft aromas of Black Forest Cherry cupcake show on the nose. The palate is smooth and rich, with flavors of red raspberries, mocha, tar, vanilla, kaffir lime leaves, and hints of minerally gun metal. The acidity works with the integrated flavors and the mid-palate offers a touch of black cherry liqueur and fresh cut lavender. The finish lingers on the middle of the tongue with a touch of tobacco and cassis. We will be discounting each bottle of wine being poured, during the tasting hours. :::          :::         ::: Dogs, fine wine, and fine art, giving back to the community The portrait of the dog on wine bottle evokes a touch of emotion. Most of us have a soft spot for dogs, and the artist's hand has created a beautiful collection of noble canine images. Each wine label on the Cru Vin Dog line was printed from an original illustration. Each label contains a carefully blended, hand selected, artisan wine.       It is a brilliant plan; dogs, wine, fine art, and a respectable donation from every bottle to canine charities. For Mary Snellgrove and Bill Foss, who were looking to establish a new concept in which to sell wine, they had conjured up the perfect project for their talents.       When Grand Vin Distributors sold in 2004 Snellgrove and Foss found themselves looking for a new venture. Snellgrove was the head of marketing for Grand Vin and Bill Foss was one of the founding owners. It was a good run for both of them. They built one of the most respected wine distributors in Colorado. Mary smiles as she talks about how all of the employees of Grand Vin tasted wine. From the salesmen and administrative staff, to truck drivers and merchandisers, blind tastings were a daily occurrences and wine education was abundant.       This devotion to the product gained Snellgrove and Foss an opportunity to create steadfast relationships in the wine industry and afforded them a comprehensive understanding of vineyards, grape varieties, terroir, blending, and every other expertise needed to produce great wine at a reasonable price.       "Being in the wine industry for 26 years and my partner Bill for thirty-six, we developed relationships with vineyards and winery owners. Some of the wine we are able to acquire is not always available to the public. We have a certain quality level expectation and we can pick and choose. A group of us do a lot of blending. Once we come to the right blend, we instruct our winemaker." Says Snellgrove.       It took some brainstorming to come up with the idea and how to execute it. "Wine was in our blood. We wanted to stay in the wine industry, but wanted to do something different, something that gave back to the community. We researched and knew we wanted to choose a local non-profit. We pitched The Allie Foundation because we already had a relationship with them."       Grand Vin had made a practice of supporting local charities. Snellgrove recollects, "When four year old Alie Berrelez was kidnapped back in the mid-nineties, it was big news in Colorado. It seemed like we were all affected. We at Grand Vin funded two bloodhound puppies and Richard Berrelez trained them and then donated them to law enforcement." http://www.alie.org/       Cru Vin Dog's Cabernet-Syrah blend name Yogi, is a tribute to the dog who found little Alie Berrelez (albeit with a heartbreaking conclusion). Yogi was a member of a K-9 unit with the Aurora Police Department until his passing in 1998. The experienced touched Mary and her husband Jay and they soon became bloodhound owners. This experience prompted Jay to become friends with the owners of Knotty, one of the bloodhound champions at The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.       Jay Snellgrove is the artist creating the labels for the Cru Vin Dog line of wines. His artwork is exhibited at their South Pearl Street gallery. "That is why the wines are so fun, because they are collectable. We try to match the character of the wine to the character of the breed. The portrait series honors special dogs with special stories. We call them hero dogs and each wine is a red blend. When the wine is gone, the label artwork is retired."       Jay's skill at reproducing the temperament of each breed is remarkable. Because of his talent he has been commissioned to illustrate other dogs by their adoring owners. "There is a story behind every label; there is a story behind every wine. People are so passionate about their dog's breed. Then there are the art collectors, who are big fans of Jay's work. Many people when they first see the artwork think they are photographs," says Mary.       "We always see canines helping humans. We wanted to feature at least one charity where humans help canines. It just so happened that the Morris Foundation was located in Denver, so it was a good fit for us. They are the oldest research non-profit for animals and one of their biggest programs is to cure canine cancer. The two breeds that suffer from cancer the most are Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers."       Cru Vin Dogs supports one other non-profit besides The Alie Foundation and Morris Foundation. Canine Companions for Independence trains Labrador and Golden Retrievers to assist adults with disabilities. Ten percent of each bottle of Cru Vin Dog wine sold is donated to a fund distributed to these charities.

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