Alto Vineyards - Dawg Days of Summer Super Shelter Spectacular!

I had the pleasure of being part of the Dawg Days of Summer fundraiser at Alto Vineyards this weekend.  

Being as this was only the second year for their now-annual fundraiser, there was a huge turnout, both for visitors, dogs, and vendors.  I was with Saint Francis CARE no-kill animal shelter, with whom I've volunteered for the last year or so.  We had a lucky duck draw, and I was doing pet portraits.  We had a funky Hawaiian summer beach scene with a ton of funny props, and everyone had a really great time.

Dawg Days came about to 'bring awareness to the remarkable benefits our regional animal rescue organizations provide for us and our furry friends.'  Every bit of donations given to the winery and admission price went to local shelters, The Angelina Foundation, Humane Society of Southern Illinois, Marion Animal Shelter, P.A.W.S. of Anna, Perry County Humane Society, St Francis CARE, Union County Animal Control, and Wright-Way Rescue, most of which had booths set up.

St Francis CARE of Murphysboro

Perry County Humane Society

PAWS of Anna

Humane Society of Southern Illinois

There were also booths by local vendors and artists, which were all fantastic and super creative.

Clay Lick Creek Pottery http://claylickcreekpottery.com/

Art and sculpture by Tom Horn of Cobden

Mario's Mama handmade healthy dog treats http://www.mariosmamapetbakery.com/

Funky Mutt collars and leashes   https://www.etsy.com/shop/FunkyMutt

There was also some amazing smelling food by Pat's Barbecue and The Neighborhood Co-op.  Blair's Saluki's showed up, and Greyhound Pets of America, as well as Howlin' For Hope.  

Dawg Days started at 12:00, on a fantastic day, sunny and warm.  Lots of people were sitting in the grass, at tables, on the veranda.....with dogs lazing around everywhere.

The music was great, we were situated right behind the stage.  

The Rural Kings ( https://www.facebook.com/ruralkings ) 

Jenny & The Johnsons ( https://www.facebook.com/jennyandthejohnsonspage ) 

Storm Crows ( https://www.facebook.com/stormcrowsbluegrass )

Whistle Pigs ( https://www.facebook.com/thewhistlepigs ) (who I particularly enjoyed) 

A beautiful selection of wine rounded out the adult favors, and for kids there were puppies, duck games, face painting (which my friend Tina and I took advantage of), and even a bounce house.

I will definitely be heading to this event again next year, either as a participant or visitor.  I would love to lounge with my dogs in the grass, drinking wine and listening to awesome music all afternoon!  Keep an eye on Alto Vineyards web and facebook page for next years event!

Alto Vineyards

 8515 Hwy 127, Alto Pass, Illinois 62905

(618) 893-4898

https://www.facebook.com/AltoVineyards

http://altovineyards.net/

StarView Vineyards

I am a volunteer for several animal organizations, mainly in fundraising.  Being as I live in Southern Illinois and wineries are kind of our thing, I thought a fundraiser at a winery would be just the ticket.  Lucky for me, Regina at StarView was more than excited to come on board, which also means I got to spend the afternoon at StarView.  You know, for research purposes.  ;)

StarView is located on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, which makes it ridiculously easy to find.  The area down around Cobden is just gorgeous, and even the drive is relaxing.  You have your choice of many wineries in the area, Blue Sky, Owl Creek, Rustle Hill....all of which have their own charm.  I've had several bottle of StarView's wine in the past though, so I knew that I was in for good spirits.  

I started off with a glass of Moonlight White, a fairly sweet white wine with a nice crisp finish.  But I promise you, it's the slushes and sangria that you really want.  You can't get either one in a bottle, (although I hear you can stock up on bottles and make the sangria at home!) so your only option is to drive on down and enjoy in person.  We also had lunch while we sat out on the sun filled deck overlooking the pond and groves.  It really is a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

StarView Vineyards was founded in 2006 when a new tasting room was opened.   It isfamily owned & operated by Brett & Regina Morrison and Ron & Susan Dalius. Brett has been in the wine industry for over 15 years and has been making wine for 8 years. Brett introduced Regina to the "wine lifestyle" and she has loved being involved in the tasting room operations. Regina & Brett are enjoying their life in Southern Illinois, it reminds them of Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, which is where they moved from in the summer of 2013.  I spent some time with Regina and she's an absolute delight, she clearly loves what they are doing, where they are, and spending time with everyone who comes to visit.  She can be found walking the groves or lounging on the deck with a glass in her hand chatting with patrons.

They have a cute little section of wine related gifts, and I stood for a long while chuckling at the t-shirts, magnets, and coasters, all picking on us poor wine lovers.

There really is a light atmosphere with a lot of humor around here :)

StarView offers twelve award winning wines, plus those fantastic sangrias and slushes.  Summer is by far the best time to visit, with mild weather and local bands playing.  They're also pet friendly! (As evidenced by their cat, Alex, who likes to greet you at the door, and the neighbor farm's lab who loves to drop in and say hi.) You can find all their events listed on their website: http://www.starviewvineyards.com

Plus, keep an eye on our blog and StarView's website for the announcement of my fundraiser for Kindred Hearts Transport Connection :)

StarView Vineyards

5100 Wing Hill Rd.

Cobden, IL 62920

618-893-9463

How to get there:

Follow I-57 S to Lick Creek Rd in Lick Creek. Take exit 36 from I-57 S

28.2 mi / 26 min

 Take Hall Church Rd to Wing Hill Rd

5.3 mi / 11 min

Turn right onto Lick Creek Rd

0.6 mi

Take the 1st right onto Hall Church Rd

1.7 mi

Continue onto Wing Hill Rd

1.9 mi

Turn right to stay on Wing Hill Rd

 Destination will be on the left

...or you know....hop on the wine trail and follow the signs :)

Blue Sky Winery

Some friends and I recently decided to go on the Shawnee Wine Trail for an afternoon of relaxation and wine tasting. We never made it past Blue Sky.

Blue Sky Winery has a big, majestic building reminiscent of an old Italian winery with rustic and rugged accent pieces, like wrought Iron pillars and light fixtures. Everything is deep colored wood and earth toned plaster, with an extensive bar and large patio. the first thing you notice upon entering is the bar, with shelves and crates full of wines with colorful labels. the people are friendly and knowledgeable  and all you really need to say is "I like this type of wine..." and they will tell you the best sellers as well as their favorites and what most people with similar likes drink. There's a whole top shelf with a bottle of each wine on it, and each bottle has medal upon medal placed on it, showing the various awards each has won.

Once you get your glass or bottle or even pitcher of wine or sangria, you can sit indoors or head out onto their gorgeous patio and drink the day away. umbrella covered tables look out onto their pond, waterfall, and gazebo  the day we were there a man brought his dog to swim in the pond and there was also a wedding on the gazebo.

They have pizzas and appetizers as well as wonderful smelling breads with dipping sauces and cheeses. we brought out own cooler full of breads and chips,and no one seemed to mind that we had done so. The entire place is just so laid back.

It isn't hard to find, and you can go to http://www.blueskyvineyard.com/ and click on the directions link, and it will have you enter your address or starting point and give you tailored directions on how to get there. As a tip, don't use cell phone navigational systems, it will not get you where you need to go! You will still be several miles off from the winery.

I ended up coming home with a sweet red wine called Concorde, their best seller. My fiends took home Mysterioso, which is #2 on their sellers list. both are sweet wines, and have that deep glossy red color. Hopefully next time we do the Shawnee Wine Trail, we will make it to more than one winery, but I have to say I would not mind spending another day relaxing at blue sky.

Blue Sky Vinyard/Winery
3150 S. Rocky Comfort Rd.,
Anna (Makanda), IL 62906
618) 995-WINE