It’s been a while since I’ve shared much wine info here on Bites. I like to call myself a casual collector of wine, but usually with a weekly turnover. Still, I have to admit I’m a sucker for a good story, so when the opportunity came to review some wines from a California-based operation named Rescue Dog Wines , I was intrigued.
My family has only ever adopted rescue dogs — usually older ones — so we’re big supporters of these sorts of organizations. Recently, we drove to Eastern Kentucky to pick up the latest additions to our family: Iggy and Ollie are two puppies who were rescued from puppy mill operations. It’s been decades since we’ve had any puppies in the house — and let me tell you, it’s a lot.
We forgot what it was like to have a couple of velociraptors running around, but they’re getting better. All that to say, the mission of Rescue Dog Wines called to me. The winery donates 50 percent of its profits to pet rescue organizations, and in October they targeted groups involved in the rescue and recovery of displaced animals affected by Hurricane Helene.
Iggy and Ollie The wines are primarily from the Lodi and Central Valley AVAs of California — lesser-known regions that produce award-winning wines but don’t receive the attention that Napa and Sonoma do. Rescue Dog Wines offers a wide variety of varietals, from chardonnay and sauvignon blanc in their portfolio of whites to rosés made from grenache and pinot noir grapes to pinot noir, cab sav .