Chateau La Paws Wine

Snickers the hunting dog spots her prey

As a food blogger, I get a lot of fun stuff sent to me. My husband reaps the benefits, because most of what I get is cooking-related, and he likes to eat.

But Snickers, although she does her job and warns me when FedEx or UPS trucks are approaching, seldom gets anything.

Snickers, if you don't already know, is the dog-in-residence. The four-footed family member.

Checking to see if anyone's watching.

Snickers came into our lives when things were pretty grim. My husband was seriously ill in the hospital, and while he was there, I made the hard decision to put our old dog down. It was the right decision for her, but left a hole in my heart.

Coming home from the hospital every night to an empty house was almost more than I could bear. The house seemed unbelievably huge and empty. I stopped by the local Humane Society on my way to the hospital one day, and browsed. I went back another day and took a dog for a walk.

"She's a little shy," they told me. "It might take some time for her to warm up to you. We took a walk, and then I sat on one of the benches, and she crawled up on my lap and cuddled.

Score!

I handed her back, went to the hospital, and couldn't stop thinking about that dog. So I told my husband I had an errand to run, and went back to the Humane Society and adopted our new dog. I had bowls and toys and a dog bed, all too big for her. But she didn't seem to mind.

I put one of my husband's unwashed shirts into her dog bed so she could get used to his presence. That first night when I went to bed, she crawled right into her new bed and we settled down for the night. Just about the time I was falling asleep, I felt a little thump on the bed as she jumped up and settled next to my feet.

So much for the "no dogs in the bed" rule, but it was very comforting to have her there.

I told my husband nothing about the old dog or the new one for a long time. He had plenty of other things to deal with - I didn't want him feeling sad about the loss of our longtime companion, and I wanted the introduction to the new dog to be a happy one. And, frankly, I worried just a little bit. Would she like him?

I needn't have worried. She snuggles up to him just as much as she snuggles up to me.

So today, a box arrived that was intended for both me and Snickers, much to her delight. For me, there were bottles of Chateau La Paws wine, and she got some treats and some tennis balls. Chateau La Paws supports no-kill shelters, and Snickers endorses Chateau La Paws. Or at least she endorses the snacks.

I haven't done much more than sample the wine, but I have to say that these would be great to bring to parties or potlucks or BYOB events. The dog photos on the bottles would be sure conversation starters.

While I don't make a lot of cocktails using wine (sangria is nice, though!) a wine spritzer is nice for summer. You can change it up a bit my adding fresh fruit or fruit juice, but it's just as lovely all on its own.

Wine Spritzer

1 1/2 ounces Chateau La Paws Chardonnay (you could also use the red wine, if you prefer)
2 ounces fruit juice (I used a cranberry/raspberry blend - citrus would be nice, as well)
Seltzer or sparkling water (lemon-lime soda would be fine, for a sweeter drink, or ginger ale for something with more zing)
Lemon, lime, or orange slice, for garnish

Fill a tall glass with ice, add the wine, add the juice, and fill the glass with seltzer or sparkling water.

Garnish with your favorite citrus (and you can add a squeeze to the drink, as well).

Serve and enjoy!

Really refreshing on a hot summer day!

I received these products from the winery at no cost to me. Snickers didn't pay for hers, either.

For more cocktails (including some of mine) check out thebar.com.