A Wine Tasting for Humans, a Treat Tasting for Dogs

When an email landed in my inbox about a dog-treat tasting flight — where owners sip wine while their dogs sample treats — I turned to my chocolate Labrador, Maple, sleeping on the floor beside me, and told her she was in for a treat (literally).

A week later, we arrived at Koehler Winery in Los Olivos for Dogs on the Lawn, a fundraiser in partnership with Nose of Justice, a Santa Barbara County dog-treat and advocacy brand whose mission is to “do right by dogs.” That day, 20 percent of all dog-treat tasting flights sold by Nose of Justice went directly to Santa Barbara Humane, a nonprofit animal welfare organization.

While grabbing Maple’s treats and my wine, I spotted an elusive corgi lounging on a picnic blanket beside his owners in a far corner of the lawn. The corgi in question, I quickly learned, was Churro, the official mascot of Nose of Justice. His owner and Nose of Justice cofounder, Brian Farkas, told me that Churro was rescued from a dog meat farm in Korea and has since “been on an epic quest for dog justice.”

That mission, Farkas explained, means advocating “for greater transparency in pet food, supporting animal welfare organizations, or simply noticing the little ways dogs could be more included in the experiences their humans love, and finding creative ways to make that happen.”

The idea for a wine-tasting flight grew out of Farkas’s own experiences. He and his wife enjoy wine tasting and often bring Churro along. As they watched fellow patrons sip their wines and laugh together, they noticed the dogs who came along spent most of the experience lying quietly under the table.

“To us,” he said, “that felt like exactly the kind of tiny injustice Nose of Justice should take on.”

Dog-tasting flights ($5 each) featured four varieties, each made with a single ingredient and given a quirky name: Oh My Cod, Sippin’ on Salmon, Buzzed on Beef Liver, and Cheers to Chicken Breast. Each treat came with a wine pairing and tasting notes so dogs could taste alongside their human companions.

Sipping Koehler Winery’s 2024 Chardonnay, I gave Maple the salmon, which had notes of “cold mountain riverbeds, coastal roe,” and “a finish that lingers longer than your dog’s stare,” according to the tasting sheet.

Alongside the tasting flight, dogs received a box of toys to choose from, as well as a seemingly endless supply of tennis balls. Farkas also went around photographing each dog’s nose to create temporary tattoos of our pups. An ice-cold water trough kept the furry friends cool in the valley heat, though the Labradors present — Maple included — decided to submerge their entire bodies in it. 

Farkas said the goal of the event was not only to include dogs in the wine-tasting experience but also to view the world through our furry companions’ eyes.

“At its heart, that’s really what Nose of Justice is about,” said Farkas. “Finding injustices in the dog world, whether they’re serious or delightfully small, and doing something about them.”

In an attempt to discover Maple’s favorite bite of the day, I lined up all four treats on a picnic bench, evenly spaced, and told her to go. She flew straight to the beef liver, which was in the middle, then swiftly inhaled the other three.

I’m unsure if my so-called experiment yielded accurate results. Still, I walked away having purchased a bag of beef liver.

For more information about Nose of Justice, seenoseofjustice.com.