Winemakers and their dogs
A dog's life
What better existence for a dog than on a farm? Jeanri-Tine van Zyl meets some of the mutts that live in the winelands.
"I love my dog as much as I love you, but you may fade, my dog will always come through," once observed Cat Stevens, the singer now known as Yusuf Islam.
Dogs, in all their awkward, beautiful and ugly incarnations, have enriched lives with their amusing traits and lust for life. But most of all, canines have given form to the abstract word "faithful" - and for that we praise and envy them.
Chances are that for every person living close to the vine there is a "faithful hound" living close to the person. These dogs are revered - and although they might not all paw their way onto wine labels; they always lick their way into hearts.
BEYERS TRUTER FROM BEYERSKLOOF WITH MILO AND CHESTER
Beyers Truter's Diesel Pinotage 2006 has gained attention as much for its quality as for its name that does not pertain to flavour components in any way. No, it is named after Truter's departed Great Dane-Boerboel cross.
A larger-than-life black dog, Diesel is dearly remembered by its owner as having a "presence, an aura that you could feel around his head and eyes like that of a lion". Since 95kg Diesel passed away due to old age last year, Milo and Chester have become Truters' "very protective" followers.
Milo is a Jack Russell and Chester a "Staff ordshire Terrier crossed with a hyena and maybe a small bit of puff adder," he says, noting that this is not a refl ection on Chester Williams' looks; the dog was merely named after him since he runs like a Springbok wing.
"Milo and Diesel used to be big buddies. Diesel used to close his mouth over Milo's head and drag him around. Milo was never scared of this kind of attention," laughs Truter while Milo contently groans at his master's feet.
"Even now, when the dogs charge ahead they will look over their shoulder for support. In the old days Diesel would not be far behind, but now it is only me and I don't know how to bite."
Diesel was buried underneath a cluster of olive trees where he laid down for the last time. And always, when walking in that direction, both dogs will run ahead and stand at his grave for a while. "He was one of a kind," Truter admits.
TINNIE MOMBERG FROM MIDDELVLEI WITH CHIANTI, MALBEC, GEEZMO, STOMPIE AND JANNA
Middelvlei's winemaker and viticulturist, Tinnie Momberg, has his hands full with busy canines that are forever fighting for the exclusive attention of their owner.
"They all have very diverse personalities, but I think Stompie is closest to me in character," says Momberg after some thinking. Stompie is a Jack Russell rescued from an abusive home and therefore has quite a fi ghting spirit. "He is a terrorist and he thinks the house is his. His heart is bigger than his body, but of course he does not realise this."
Just the other day Stompie pulled down a bad-tempered boerbok - one that everyone else was afraid of. The other Jack Russell, Geezmo, loves all the dogs, except Chianti, the Bloemenweiler. (Chianti is a bit of a diva, and during our shoot she got so upset with sharing the spotlight with the other dogs that in the end she was not even in the frame.)
Malbec is the Rhodesian Ridgeback, and he is unflatteringly summed up as being a bit pigeon-hearted. Actually, poor Malbec is just a softy. It is Janna who steals the show, however.
Adopted from the SPCA, Janna is a Whippet/Jack Russell cross who thinks she is a cat. "She has the magnifi cent ability of balancing on the kitchen's door hatch, just like a cat. We also can't leave anything on the tables because she will jump onto them and steal food," says Momberg, giving Janna a stern look.
Unfortunately the dogs can't take walks to the cellar anymore since brother Ben Momberg's two big dogs - a Great Dane and Boerboel - attack the smaller ones, which really irritates wife Leana. "Ja, ag shame," sighs Momberg...
ERIKA OBERMEYER FROM GRAHAM BECK WITH ROCKY
Rocky (Bhulisa Cherokee) is a thoroughbred from Dr and Mrs MF Winter of Bhulisa German Shorthair Pointer breeders. But her lineage does not mean she has manners.
"She has a naughty habit of waiting until I get into the bath before she starts to run around with a pillow or any blanket or piece of clothing she can get hold of - but not before showing me exactly what she is playing with, knowing full well that I will have to get out of the bath to take her ‘toys' away," tells owner Erika Obermeyer about some of her dog's "irritating habits".
Also, since she is a natural retriever that loves to swim, it is impossible to have a working creepy crawly in the pool...
Obermeyer loves to spend most of her free time outdoors and on the hunting field, and for this Rocky is a perfect companion. A true wine dog, this well-bred canine also loves running in the vineyards in the afternoon.
"Rocky is often in the cellar and has no fear for a walkway, and she definitely has a preference for fermenting Shiraz juice; I can't open a bottle of wine without Rocky begging to have the cork," Obermeyer notes affectionately.
JEAN DANEEL FROM JEAN DANEEL WINES WITH LADY, HAMLET AND HELGA
When Jean Daneel and wife Renée moved to Napier, they set out to find a plot that was big enough to grow vineyards on. Undoubtedly the reason for wanting a small-holding on the fringes of town also pertains to the size of their dogs.
Arriving at the farm, you'll find three enormous hounds standing next to your car effortlessly staring right into your eyes. Luckily, Daneel's wines are really special - you would not want to get out of your car otherwise.
Renée remembers that when Hamlet the St Bernard was born he fitted into the palm of her hand and weighed a mere 500g. Today the dog has grown to proportions worthy of a Shakespearian epic and at the age of six he weighs in at 80kg, which gets tricky when he tries to climb onto his owner's lap.
Hamlet and the other St Bernard, Helga, both like lying in the cool confi nes behind the tanks in the cellar when it gets warm outside. "Hamlet will lie there with his head (which is massive) on his paws and watch us but he will lift his eyebrows all the time, fi rst the one and then the other.
It also looks as if he is wearing eyeliner, so it really makes for a very comical face," Daneel relates.
Lady, the rescued Great Dane, also follows Daneel everywhere "even to the bathroom". And although a very athletic dog, Lady likes to sit on the couch in the living room, imitating a person with her bum on the couch and legs on the floor.
She will then refuse to get up and move - and you don't argue with such a big gal.
LORNA HUGHES FROM STONEHILL WITH BRISTLE
Bristle is not a pretty dog. She looks like three parts barrel, jackal and farm bicycle respectively, and two parts steel wool. Hughes agrees, but adds that this dog with the habit of following her everywhere is "beyond special".
Rescued from a rubbish bin when she was just a few weeks old, Bristle survived to become a tenacious little thing. Grapes from Hughes's farm are made into wine by Mark Carmichael- Green, and on these wine labels a pencil sketch of Bristle holding her favourite playtime utensil, a stick, appears.
On the back label Bristle is praised for being a "constant companion and fi ercely loyal guard, considered by many to be Hughes's manager..."
To get "her" employees' attention she yelps (not barks), and she will bite Hughes's toes when she wants to go out of the farm gate. But, this petite canine is forgiven most things, and, unlike the other seven dogs, is allowed to sit on the bar counter in the tasting room and talk to customers.
