02/29/2020
GUS I AM by Drew Dickson
ïżŒïżŒYOU COULD SAY HE WAS BORN UNDER A LUCKY STAR, but he wasnât... he was born under a porch in Paradise, California. We discovered him, lost and malnourished, during the 4th of July weekend. What were we going to name this new arrival? Sure, he was lucky, but we didn't want to name him that, so we decided to go with plain old âGusâ.
One advantage of having such a brief, no-nonsense moniker is that the possibilities for nicknames are endless. And over the years, we have developed one for every season, occasion and episode of Gusâs life.
Gus: aka âHaggusâ, âGustoph Chompskiâ, âGooseberryâ, âGussy-Upâ, âThe Gusserâ, âOut-of- Gusâ, âRoyal Gusmanâ, âThe Gusinatorâ, âGooseâ and âBearâ. The last one stuck well beyond his puppy years because my wife Deanna loves to ride me for believing Labradors are somehow related to bears. A theory I have, based on the shape of their nose.
The handle âGooseberryâ arrived during one of our blending sessions; a penchant for outdoor sports involving a gaggle of wintering snow geese begot the name âGooseâ; and he was titled âGussy-Upâ because he makes us look good.
The âGusserâ was coined once we realized the young lad was responsible for a 20% increase in wine sales upon his move to the winery â âRack one up for the Gusser!â But it wasnât long before he was banished to the vineyard for soiling the tasting room carpet. That carpet was deemed to have been âGusinatored!â
While he played well with all the gentleman farmers, his stoic, vineyard trot looked more like a prance as he refused to touch wet grass with his paws. Hence the moniker, âThe Royal Goose Manâ.
At the end of the day, it really doesnât matter what you call him â Gus doesnât mind. He will be what he will be â living life with Gusto!
DREW DICKSON, OWNER AND WINEMAKER OF ANDREW LANE WINERY, NAPA VALLEY CA
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