News and Events

21 September 2008

The Light Still Shines For Shadow

The wine world lost a faithful friend today. Shadow, the resident Border Collie and namesake of his own wine from Fox Creek in McLaren Vale, was loved by many. Shadow came into the public eye when Fox Creek released a red wine in 2001 that was named after his habit of chasing the vibrating trellis wire as the grape vines were pruned each year. The wine was called Shadow’s run.

I always called Shadow our silent salesman as he charmed many. He was the perfect host and would often meet and greet our guests at cellar door and he loved to lead the behind the scenes tours around the winery. Shadow was asked time and time again to run up and down the vineyard rows for many journos, film crews and countless visitors to the cellar door and Shadow always obliged.

In the last month of his life he posed patiently for a calendar shoot – he is to be Mr. August in the 2009 Wine Dogs Calendar and he featured in a promotional film on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Often in the limelight Shadow had starred in many television programs including The Great Outdoors, Talk to the Animals, Off the Vine and Surfing the Menu. He received gifts in the mail from his fans and love letters with photos of eligible bitches seeking his attentions. He had visitors from around the world that made appointments before they came to ensure that they got to spend time with Shadow. Our Cellar Door Manager, Helen Hunter often joked that she needed counselling as visitors told her that they had come to see Shadow or had come back to see Shadow and she claimed she was developing an inferiority complex! With time Shadow’s fame has grown and he has certainly become a legend.

For us, Shadow’s friends and family at Fox Creek and that includes several of our wine club members who were loyal followers of Shadow’s antics, we are pleased to have known him and are happy that we still have his wine to drink to his exuberance and love of life. Run Shadow run!

Kristin McLarty (nee Watts)
Marketing Manager and daughter of Shadow’s owners Helen & Jim Watts