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Slideshow
Top seven winery cats
From ridding the cellar of mice to providing a welcoming purr to visitors, the work of a winery cat is never done.
This selection of vineyard-dwelling felines prove that living at a winery has its perks, not least having vast acres of lush greenery through which to prowl. After our round up of winery dogs, we felt it was only fair to turn our attention to our feline friends of the wine world.
Do you know of a winery cat that deserves a mention? Please send us your pictures by emailing lauren@thedrinksbusiness.com, or tweet us @teamdb.
Meanwhile, scroll through for a look at some of the cats making it their business to patrol the world’s vineyards…
Stella – Inman Family Wines, Sonoma, California
Stella is the resident feline at Inman Family Wines in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. She loves nothing more than tearing through the vines.
Precious – Stinson Vineyards, Virginia, US
This is Precious, the tabby that rules the roost at Stinson Vineyards in Virginaia. When she is not overseeing the team’s pruning duties, she can often be found strolling through the winery’s barrel rooms.
Stinson Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains specialising in small batch wines with a French influence with its father/daughter team taking inspiration from the “garagiste” wineries of France.
D’artanian – Eastwell Estate, Perth, Australia
This handsome fellow is D’Artanian, who lives at the Eastwell Estate in Perth, Western Australia. Here he is overseeing the pruning of the estate’s Semilion vines.
D’Artanian’s home stretches across six hectares with vines including Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Merlot, Cabernet and Shiraz located on the north facing slopes of the Hay River.Biodynamic and organic practices have been employed at the vineyard since 2008.
Harrison – Tanis Vineyards, Amador County, California
Harrison is not just a pretty face, but the “best mouser that ever existed”, according to his owners at Tanis Vineyards in California. This fearless feline has even taken on a rattlesnake and lived to tell the tale.
Tanis is one of the smallest wineries in Amador County producing just 800 cases per year.
Pippin – Hay Shed Hill Wines, Margaret River, Australia
Credit: Facebook / Wine Cats
Hay Shed Hill Wines in Margaret River, Western Australia, is home to the gorgeous Pippin.
Planted in 1973 with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, Hay Shed Hill is one of a small group of vineyards located in the heart of the Willyabrup Valley – a sub-region of Margaret River. The winery is privately owned by a small group of winemakers and grape growers.
Tony – Redwood Ranch and Vineyards, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
Tony the cat basks in the late afternoon sun while surveying the land at Redwood Ranch and Vineyards in California.
The winery’s owners, Jim and Gayle Reed, practice sustainable winegrowing methods to farm their 350 acres of premium Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Jack – Kendall-Jackson
Jack can often be seen escorting the visitors to the Kendall-Jackson tasting room where he held the title of “official greeter” since 2005 when he was taken in by the winery. Wandering the streets and sleeping outoors, Jack happened upon the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center and was taken in by the Jackson family. He loves nothing more than a scratch behind the ears, but isn’t so keen on dogs.
I nominate Herbie and Peaches at Peachy Canyon Winery in Paso Robles / Templeton. You can see them in the link I put in for my website here. I also have a video of them grooming each other. They are Maine Coon cats. I have no personal relationship to the winery. I just like to photograph it. I always enjoy seeing the cats when I visit.