Visitors to our Napa Valley vineyard get a kick out of our English yellow Labrador Ripley as she rides around (like a princess) with Cliff in our vineyard tractor. She's more than just a pet or companion, she's our official mascot. Fortunately, Ripley doesn't like grapes unless they are ripe. So she's the perfect grape watch dog, telling us when it's time to harvest!

During stressful episodes around here, Ripley keeps us smiling and in a good mood. That spirit shows up in our wine, we think, you can almost taste the up beat mood we enjoy on the vineyard. Since she has that positive power over people, she is our official greeter, swimmer and plate cleaner (she loves spaghetti).

As our official mascot for the Clare Luce Abbey Estate, Ripley is practically undeterred from her mission (especially if it involves chasing the wild rabbits). She's got many tricks up her sleeve (so to speak), and always amazes us with her charm and wit. When working under the pressures of winemaking it's important to have someone like Ripley to provide a sense of doggy-perspective and good humor. Who knows, she might even inspire our next special wine release.

To the left are a few pictures of Ripley with us in our red tractor.  They may looked staged or like some half-baked corporate marketing ploy, but honestly this is what Ripley enjoys most. You would not believe her level of excitement with the mere mention of "tractor."

We know we run the risk of being a bit self-indulgent by putting pictures of our dog on our website, but she's truly a daily inspiration.  So maybe during your next sip of our Cabernet Sauvignon you'll catch yourself in mid-smile and think, "yup, there's a little Ripley levity in there."