What every winery needs: a cat
by Farley
Before I got a job in the wine business, I flew out to California in the hopes of finding one. Southern charm works better face to face and all that. The first winery I went to, outside the door was sitting a cat.
I knew it was a good sign. (Rightly so.)
Here’s why wineries need a cat:
1) keeps the mouse population down
2) gives people something to do and/or talk about between tastes
3) entertains bored kids
4) provides opportunity for merchandise (photo cards, t-shirts)
5) well, I’m sure Jill over at We Heart Cats could give you more reasons.
Essentially, it’s the need for a mascot, a way people can relate. But then again, ducks work, too….
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November 3rd, 2006 at 11:08 am
Thank you, Farley — and yes, the wineries I’ve worked for have had cats. And they are indeed an important accessory for wineries. You got most of the reasons, but I will have to add my two bits.
-Jill
November 3rd, 2006 at 11:22 am
[...] This morning I was delighted to see that Farley had listed a great list of reasons every winery needs a cat on her blog, Wine Outlook. As she invited me to add to the list, here’s my two bits. I worked for two wineries, both of which had resident felines, and I also visited several others in Mendocino County with cats on the property. Here’s what I think: [...]
November 3rd, 2006 at 8:24 pm
The winery where I work has a cat that loves to bring in live prey whenever there are a lot of people in the tasting room. This usually ends with quite a large mess of blood and feathers right in the tasting room. He also loves to sleep on T-shirts, which is ok for me because they give me the shirts with all the fur on them; added warmth for when I’m out pruning.
November 3rd, 2006 at 10:53 pm
So - I have 4 cats. Does that mean I am set to join the wine tasting crowd? Or does it more likely mean I’m just set to become the Crazy Cat Lady?
November 4th, 2006 at 10:51 am
Robert: Morty actually tortures mice and lizards, but I decided not to mention it as it didn’t support my case.
Dawn (Casey): Both. And I have 2, so I’m halfway there.
November 4th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
I love having a cat at the winery. I just wish I didn’t have to worry about him all the time. Every now and then he’s found in a customer’s car or on a tour bus, and I don’t want him to end up lost. A couple of years ago, he got attacked by a musk rat and we didn’t know if he would live; poor Hobie. And I hate it when people lock him out at night, especially in the winter; though he’ll just go to the barn and sleep with the horses, but I just worry about him a lot.
November 5th, 2006 at 1:28 am
I have a duck so I’m going for ducks.
November 6th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
i love outfit! i also love the drive by truckers. they are amazing white trash rock. outfit is one of my favorite dbt songs and the main reason i bought decoration day. you should get it. its a great cd. also, i hate cats. they make my eyes swell and i get angry.
January 22nd, 2007 at 10:28 am
[...] Ducks and Pinot Noir January 22nd, 2007 by Farley This entry does not fall under the category of food and wine pairing. Although when I went to upload the picture, I realized it was, oops, in the food and wine folder, and I do love duck and Pinot together…. No, these ducks are off limits as far as being put on anyone’s plate. Poor little guys already lost three of their friends to coyotes or hawks, and the pond was frozen for a week or so due to the cold front that ripped through California. But these 2 survivors are trying desperately to replace Morty the cat as the winery mascot. That’s them in the shipping room, after they walked through the parking lot and up the hill to come visit us. [...]