A Day in the Life of a Winery Dog

Chateau Grand Traverse has a long history of winery dogs.  Since Ed O’Keefe II started the winery back in 1974, Samoyeds have been a party of the CGT family. These breeds are friendly. playful, and extremely lovable. With a thick fur coat, they also love the winter, making a perfect dog for Northern Michigan.  Each dog has taken on different roles in the day-to-day operations of the winery based on their individual personalities. While some have been avid hunters, others have excelled at greeting guests or keeping a watchful eye on the vineyards.

Our first Samoyed, Chablis 1, with CGT Founder Ed O’Keefe II and his son, CGT President Eddie O’Keefe

As you can see, wine, dogs, and Old Mission Peninsula are what we call home.  Since our first Samoyed, we’ve welcomed four new pups to the fun and crazy family. Chablis 2 (or Chaba), Bacchus, Boo, and finally Sitka, who spends every day with us here at CGT. Sitka is certainly a fan favorite – he regularly has his picture snapped with 20 or more giggling bachelorettes. He loves the attention, and greets all of our guests with a friendly hug and maybe even a kiss!

“More cheese, please!”

A natural viticulturist!

Job Description: Must take multiple naps per day, request treats from all employees, provide excellent customer service via cuddles, maintain vineyard photo ops, and swim in West Bay whenever possible. 

Sitka loves to greet our guests with a smile

Check out our video to get an inside look at a day in the life of a winery dog.