Bodega’s Biography
On November 27, 2005, at a small farm in California’s Central Valley, a litter of seven pups was born to a Black Labrador mother and a Yellow Labrador father. There was one pup in this litter that was very different from the rest-----she was the only Chocolate colored female and she happened to be the runt. She quickly found a home with Vince’s daughter Adrian and her husband Matt and became a special addition to the winery family. As Adrian’s wedding gift to Matt, she was named Bodega, after Bodega Bay, where they were married. Ironically, the name Bodega is also used in Spain as a term for a winery, and since Matt is the assistant winemaker at Vincent Arroyo, her name is a perfect fit.
Bodega started coming to the winery with Matt the very day after Matt and Adrian brought her home. To JJ’s dismay, Bodega began her puppy annoyances by pulling on JJ’s ears and yelping at her to play. Fortunately, JJ relented and took Bodega under her wing and began showing her the ways of the winery, including her signature act featuring begging for food from picnickers.
Bodega also quickly developed winemaking skills as well, starting with her discovery during harvest of 2006 of how yummy high-sugar wine grapes taste! She became a vacuum for any grapes that dropped on the crush pad during processing and gained a quick ten pounds during harvest. The veterinarian assured us that she escaped developing diabetes, but Matt has her run along side the truck on the way to and from the winery each day to keep her in good shape! She wanted to create her own blend, so in May of 2007 she released her first wine which bears her signature name. The 2004 Bodega is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It was released at our annual Open House event to much excitement and praise. Bodega, never shying away from the media, can also be found in the Winery Dogs of Napa Valley book. Bodega and JJ also shared the title of “Miss September” in the 2007 Winery Dogs Calendar. Bodega is currently busy working on her next wine release but would love to take time out to show you some of her new tricks on your visit to our winery.