How do you pair wine with something that’s not food? Our guest today says it’s simple: compare the personalities and traits of both. And yes, you can pair wine with dogs!

Michele Gargiulo, certified sommelier, wanted to sprinkle some joy into the winery world, which she says takes itself far too seriously. In her book Pairing Paws, Gargiulo discerns the distinctive personalities of various vintages and a multitude of mutts … and makes a compelling argument for which goes with what.

Sound weird? Maybe. Not everyone thought this book was a good idea. Gargiulo’s personal story about writing and publishing her quirky and fabulous book started out as a romantic adventure tale, but soon turned tragic when her boyfriend died. Gargiulo credits her dog, Riesling, with keeping her moving and bringing love and light back into her story.

Episode Links

Pairing Paws by Michele Gargiulo

Azores Wine Company Arinto dos Açores White to be paired with Maltese

This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

1:26 Pairing Paws the book

11:19 Pairing dogs with wine

15:49 How do you publish a book?

22:31 What it REALLY means to be a master sommelier

24:02 Making the wine world more accessible

26:24 Surviving the loss of a loved one

30:16 Outro

About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)

DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.

Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:

Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments

Dog Cancer Answers: which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer

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