Celebrity Dog Trainer Releases List of Dog Wine Pairings for National Dog Month

The dog days of summer may be coming to a close, but there's no better way to spend warm August evenings than lounging in the yard with your furry friend...and a glass of wine. There truly is a wine variety for every occasion, but did you know there's a wine for every dog, too?

To celebrate National Dog Month, AKA August, the team behind St. Francis Winery in Sonoma, California, partnered with celebrity dog trainer Nicole Ellis, CPDT-KA, FFCP, to bring you the paw-feet pairings list. Instead of pairing wine varietals with cheese or entrees, they're pairing wine with dog breeds!

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Nicole to chat about her creative process, as well as how she utilized her years of experience as a celebrity dog trainer to bring this clever campaign to life. St. Francis Winery also sent me a bottle of Pinot Noir, the wine that represents mixed-breed dogs, for my own personal pup pairings tasting. Here's what I learned about this project from the dog owners at St. Francis Winery.

Tannins and Tail Wags

From popular Golden Retrievers to swift sighthounds, Nicole matched eight dog breeds and types with corresponding St. Francis wines. She used her canine expertise to find similarities between wines and dog breeds, which is trickier than one may think! Luckily, her experience training thousands of dogs helped her find the most accurate--and delicious--comparisons.

When asked about how dog breeds can even be compared to wine varieties, Nicole found more than one similarity. "Just like dog breeds have distinct, unique personalities and temperaments, wines have unique flavor profiles," she explains. "The brand’s bold and strong Cabernet Sauvignon might be compared to a confident and robust breed like a Staffordshire Terrier. In contrast, a Merlot, which is smooth and easygoing, could be likened to a friendly and adaptable breed like Doodles."

But the comparisons don't stop there. Besides comparing wine flavor characteristics, such as sweetness, acidity, and tannin profiles, she also matched wines' weights and mouthfeel with dog breeds' physical traits. She even considered dogs' adaptability and diversity with wine/food pairings!

If this is a lot to take in, you're not alone. Even Nicole didn't know where to begin at first, but the wine experts at St. Francis were there to help.

"The St. Francis team gave me a great crash course on the often-intimidating wine culture and terms," she recalled,
"so I was well prepared to make these connections. It was an intricate but fun process, and I now feel well-versed for the next time I’m browsing the wine aisle."

Find your Paw-fect Pairing

After consulting with the master sommeliers at St. Francis Winery and "recalling specific dogs I’ve known that guided the final pairings," Nicole officially announced the project--and the pairings list--on Instagram to kick off National Dog Month. Is your favorite dog breed on the list?

• Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc - Bichon Frise: Bright, lively, cheerful
  
  

• Sonoma County Chardonnay - Golden Retriever: A classic, reliable, friendly, and dependable.
  
  

• Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon - Staffordshire Terrier: Loyal, bold, robust, and strong.
  
  

• Sonoma County Pinot Noir - Mixed Breed: Diverse, unique, adaptable, versatile, full of love and flavors.
  
  

• Sonoma County Merlot - Doodle mixes: Approachable, a bit silly, easygoing, friendly
  
  

• Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley - Bull Mastiff: Confident, strong, powerful, large.
  
  

• Reserve Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley - Sighthounds: Sleek, graceful, memorable, vibrant.
  
  

• Reserve Merlot Sonoma Valley - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: sweet, affectionate, elegant, and social.

What a clever project! It's easy to see how Nicole's years as a dog trainer and the sommeliers' wine expertise were both essential to bringing this list to life. As the pup pro shared, "I saw an opportunity to craft pairings that would not only be enjoyable but also meaningful. The hardest part was that I had so many more amazing breeds that I wanted to include; I guess we need more wine, right?" You said it!

Bringing Home Your Pup Pairing

The team behind this collaboration was generous enough to send me a bottle of the Sonoma County Pinot Noir, which can be compared to mixed-breed dogs. It was only fitting since I have a Husky mix, a Poodle mix, and a mystery-breed pup at home!

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Not only did I enjoy the red wine with multiple meals (it really is a diverse wine!), but my dogs also enjoyed the squeaky toy and other gifts sent by the winery. When St. Francis (which is named after the patron saint of animals) says it's a dog-friendly winery, they mean it!

"St. Francis Winery & Vineyards has always celebrated the joy animals bring into our lives, a sentiment deeply rooted in our legacy,” said Rick Bonitati, President and Chief Executive Officer for St. Francis Winery & Vineyards. “This partnership is a fun way for our fans to celebrate and participate in that connection together. We hope that they enjoy exploring their favorite pairings with friends, knowing that each is inspired by their furry friends and supports a great cause.”

Sales from this project directly benefit Canine Companions, a nonprofit that provides trained service dogs to men, women, and children free of cost. St. Francis Winery has an ongoing partnership with the organization, and a dollar from every bottle sold goes directly to them. This was the icing on the cake for Nicole, who feels passionately about the cause, but it's also a wonderful reason to try a bottle of wine that corresponds to your favorite dog breed. Which will you look for first?

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