The Two Faces of Syrah:
The Dog and the Wine

By Gary Madden, General Manager, Lieb Family Cellars
At a little past age 10, a blood test indicated Syrah was developing kidney failure. This was shortly after the tainted food crises broke, and I discovered that his former dog food was among those recalled. A sonogram suggested that he had poorly formed, under-developed kidneys, but I could not help wonder if the food had injured his already compromised kidney function. Despite supplements and a strict diet, Syrah's kidney function declined until there was only one option: dialysis - a three-times-a-week trek to Manhattan from the vineyard with overnight stays in the hospital, a regimen which at best would give him another 6 to 8 months. Instead, I made the painful, dreaded decision to spare my farmdog friend from additional pain and hours of isolation in a hospital, and make his last days with me as memorable and enjoyable as possible.

Amidst my grief over his loss and anger over the possibility of poisoned food, I needed to fight back, to do something to help combat kidney disease. The concept came to me quickly: create a Syrah wine that pays tribute to my lost friend, and that could be sold to raise money to fight kidney disease. But I needed help deciding where to send the proceeds: a pet food watch coalition? a veterinary college? an annual honorary recipient? Syrah's vets who had taken care of him for the last 7 years, Drs. Mercurio and Dunbar, of Mattituck Laurel Veterinary Hospital, offered to help examine the options. After a meeting with Dr. Langston and Dr. Klausner, we realized that the answer was in our own backyard, at The Animal Medical Center, where we discovered the good work being done by Dr. Langston and her colleagues. A highly regarded nephrologist, Dr. Langston was doing something unique: bringing leading veterinary renal experts from around the world to New York for a symposium addressing state-of-the-art kidney therapies and research findings, complete with hands-on lab time. What better way to fight kidney disease than support further dialogue and training among our first line of defense – the veterinary professionals themselves.

Syrah Wine The Syrah wine was introduced March 8th, at the 2008 Advanced Renal Therapies Symposium at The AMC. Twenty percent of the proceeds from this first vintage Syrah wine will be donated to The AMC for its continuing renal therapy research. To purchase or learn more about the Syrah wine, visit www.liebcellars.com or call 631.734.1100. Lieb Cellars operates a sustainable vineyard and produces award winning wines just 85 miles east of New York City, where you are invited to visit and taste the wine named after my friend, CH Montage Petit Syrah.



Perhaps you would like to honor or remember a pet who touched your life. To make a gift, please visit www.amcny.org/contribute. For more information, please call (212) 329-8660.

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