Once upon a time . . .
Our story starts early in 2001 with a group of friends relaxing after work one day. The conversation rambled from topic to topic until it landed upon an idea . . . "wouldn't it be great if we could plant some grapes and try making our own wine?" One thing led to another, and before they knew it, these friends were digging holes and planting vinifera, on what is now Working Dog's vineyard.
The vineyard is located in the rolling terrain of eastern Mercer County in Central New Jersey. We started with 3 acres of Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. The more we planted, and the more wine we made, the more we came to realize that our terrior . . . that combination of soil, climate, topography . . . is capable of producing outstanding fruit. And our idea about making our own wines has taken on a life of its own, quickly changing from hobby to passion to obsession. Oh yeah, and somewhere along the line, it became a business.
Meet our Partners
Even in the toughest growing seasons, Working Dog has produced outstanding harvests. Take a looks at our vines, and you'll see leaves that are shiny and green, glowing with health. For this, we tip our hats to T-Man.
All through the growing season, you can find T-Man examining the plants for signs of pest and pestilence, and acting on any invaders quickly to prevent damage.
He's a teacher by trade, but he spends an awful lot of time as a heavy equipment operator at the vineyard. With 10 years of experience as the lead Sales Associate at Carduner's Fine Wines and Liquors, Todd brings a lot of wine knowledge to the Dog tasting room.
Affectionately dubbed "J.R.", Brian's in his glory when he's wheeling and dealing. As property manager for Carduner Center in East Windsor, Brian honed his negotiation skills, and now he puts them to good use when things start getting heated around here -- especially when it comes to deciding on capital expenditures to include in our annual budget.
When he's not worrying about the books, Brian's a planner. We've been to more than one meeting where Brian comes armed with ideas hastily sketched on the back of paper napkins. It doesn't take long 'til we get caught up in his excitement, and the next thing we know we're got another new project underway at Working Dog.
Mark is our greatest source of wine expertise. For 25 years he owned and managed Carduner's Fine Wines & Spirits of East Windsor, New Jersey. His knowledge of wines and friendly personality made the store a destination place for wine enthusiasts across the Eastern seaboard.
If you're in a sporting mood, test his skills. His ability to identify wines (where the grapes were grown, what type they are, how old the wine is) in blind taste tests is second-to-none!
Mark's passion for wine is evident in the carefully tended rows of Working Dog's vineyard, where he ensures that every grape receives the attention it needs to reach its perfect ripeness.
We credit Russ as the originator of the Working Dog Winery. He started talking about a winery early in 2001, and one by one, inspired us all to form Silver Decoy.
Affectionately known as the Silver Fox, Russ is a true "yes man". There isn't anything that can't be done!
Russ is a self-employed builder who has been doing construction for over 30 years. Come out to the vineyard to see some of his handiwork!
A commercial electrician by trade, Jerry has many talents. He puts them to good use working on the technical aspects of turning grapes into wine. Never one to rest on his laurels, Jerry continues to raise the bar on the technical aspects of making wine.
Jerry is a stickler about filtration - trying to achieve the perfect balance of removing impurities without removing the delicate nuances of flavor. His current project has Working Dog bringing 21st century filtration techniques to our production room