Black Dog Blues Festival
On Saturday, July 10th, Chateau Morrisette held its first Black Dog Music Festival of the season. We hold three of these festivals a year, each devoted to a different genre of music: blues, jazz, and beach. With great food, plenty of good wine, and two dynamic bands, the Black Dog Blues Festival kicked off what promises to be a fantastic festival season.
We had some rain the couple of days before the festival, but Saturday was clear and beautiful. As the official start time of 11am came and went, the trickle of cars turned into a stream, filling our back parking lot.
The music got off to a great start with Moreland & Arbuckle, a duo from Wichita, Kansas who have been delving into the roots of American blues music for over a decade. Their raw blend of Chicago and Delta blues delighted the early crowds, who sipped wine, lunched, and grooved in their lawn chairs. Mixing popular songs from their extensive catalog with tunes from their newly released album, Flood, Moreland & Arbuckle gave a performance that will not soon be forgotten.
With a tasting tent set up outside and food and craft vendors located on the upper courtyard, festival-goers didn’t have to travel far to have all their desires met. Our chefs prepared festival specials for the day—citrus-glazed ribs, lamb gyros, and roasted chicken salad sandwiches, just to name a few—and other vendors were there as well, selling everything from authentic homemade tamales to gourmet filled crepes.
The tasting room and the tasting tent were bustling all day as people enjoyed wine tastings and purchased glasses and bottles of wine. The second act, Anders Osborne turned up the heat in the early afternoon with his rock-edged version of the blues. Osborne, a songwriter who has written hits for Tim McGraw, Keb’ Mo, Jonny Lang and others, has also built up a fan base all over the country with his extensive touring. When he and his band took to the stage on Saturday, it was easy to see why. His throaty, whiskey-soaked voice and relentless guitar riffs got people out of their seats and down to the stage.
Tracks from Osborne’s new album, American Patchwork, mixed and mingled with old favorites from previous albums. As the crowd dancing in front of the stage grew, the music intensified; moving from rock-laced blues to blues-edged rock, but always grooving.
As Osborne’s final song came to an end, the crowds on the dance floor and on the hill whooped and hollered. He and his band left everyone wanting more, and some folks even lingered on the dance floor for a while, swaying to remembered tunes.
Some people packed up their lawn chairs and headed for the parking lot, while others made their way to the upper courtyard and the tasting room to continue the celebration. Many bought bottles of wine to take home with them—a perfect souvenir from a perfect day. As the train of cars crept out of the parking lot and on to Winery Road, we here at Chateau Morrisette hoped everyone had as great a time as we all did. We breathed a sigh of satisfaction for the success of the Black Dog Blues Festival, and immediately began thinking ahead to the Black Dog Jazz Festival, wanting to make it even better. We hope we can, and we hope you can make it.
The Black Dog Jazz Festival is held on Saturday, August 14th from 11am to 5pm. Musical acts include Beleza Brazil and Los Gatos. Tickets are $15 pre-sale and $20 at the door. Ticket price includes music, wine tasting, cellar tour, and a special souvenir festival wine glass. For more information, please see our website: www.thedogs.com.
