Everyone Loves " Vinny"

       Breed - Mastiff or English Mastiff, Age -5 years old , Weight- around 230 lbs,

Our Mastiff named "Vineyard" is the guardian of Javelina Leap Winery. If it's not too hot and Mom & Dad are in the winery, you can find him laying around outside the tasting room . Vinny is an extremely loyal and devoted family dog. Although he is very sweet and gentle with people and other dogs, he is not likely to show you much love.He saves that for family and those he knows well. Vinny loves to go car riding with Mom in the mini van ( the only car big enough with the back seats removed.) He has an incredible memory & sense of smell and recognizes our members and regular customers who are usually greeted with a big slobbery hello. Others are simply ignored or abandoned. No amount of coaxing will help win him over until there is a formal introduction from Mom or Dad, after that he will always remember you. This is nothing personal, it's just the Mastiff way. This is his dog job after all !

Vineyard was bred by Joe & Carla Sanchez owners of Southport Mastiffs. Vineyard's daddy is a very accomplished show dog, Ch.Southport Sherman is the the top winning Mastiff of all time. You can sometimes see Sherman and Vinny's other relatives in dog shows on TV. Vinny has some bloodlines back to Mastiffs that were bred by Rodney & Charlotte Strong ( Rodney Strong Wines ).I guess you can say he's born to be a winery dog.

VINEYARD'S DAD

                                   

VINEYARD'S BROTHER GRANT

Vinny's Wildlife Corner

What is a Javelina ?

A Javelina ( hav a leen a ) is a member of the Peccary family and resembles a wild boar. They are native to our area and often seen in packs with their cute little ones. They do not bother the grape vines at all. They like cactus, roots, nuts and bulbs. There are many Javelina around the vineyard and are seen at dusk, night or early morning. They have poor vision but a great sense of smell. Javelinas can be dangerous when they have little ones or feel threatened. Most of the time they just run away. Mrs. Javelina Leap ( Cynthia ) sees them often when hiking the mountain behind the vineyard & winery. One year they alerted her to the presence of a mountain lion that had been stalking her .Thanks to the Javelina an attack may have been avoided.

WILDLIFE AROUND THE VINEYARD