NAPA, California
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You love your dog. You love wine. Lucky for you and Fido, there are a number of Napa Valley wineries where you don鈥檛 have to choose between the two.
Here鈥檚 a sampling of wineries that welcome humans and their (well-behaved, leashed) best friends.
鈥� HALL St. Helena welcomes dogs year-round. In the fall, they take the wine-canine connection a step further with Harvest Hounds, a tasting with proceeds going to Napa Humane. Reservations not required for a tasting, but are required for tours plus tastings.
鈥� Honig Vineyard & Winery in Rutherford has three resident dogs and welcomes other, well-behaved, canines as visitors. In fact, the bestselling book in the tasting room is about winery dogs. Treats and water for all four-legged friends are provided. Tastings by appointment only.
鈥� Raymond Vineyards. Dogs aren鈥檛 just welcome at this St. Helena winery, they鈥檙e feted. There鈥檚 a dog 鈥渨inery鈥� dedicated to owner Jean-Charles Boisset鈥檚 beloved French bulldog, named, aptly enough, Frenchie.
People go inside and taste; dogs relax in outdoor shaded dog beds in the dog winery, which has barrel furniture, canine portraits and a camera connected to a TV in the tasting room, so owners can keep an eye on them.
Water is served in burgundy-coloured bowls, so it looks like wine, and the dog winery even has its own website, frenchiewinery.com.
No appointments necessary but reservations are recommended and required for some of the more in-depth visitor experiences.
鈥� V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena allows dogs on leash in the tasting rooms and picnic grounds. The winery also hosts an annual 鈥淧amper your Pooch鈥� day in May, where dogs get free treats and their humans are encouraged to post pictures of the visit.
No appointment or reservation necessary unless you have a group of 15 or more.
鈥� 听St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery in Rutherford has treats for your dog, and the winery鈥檚 outdoor patio is a great place to kick back with your favourite canine.
Who knows? You may well meet 鈥淕G,鈥� winery top dog and resident CCO (Chief Cuddle Officer). Reservations are not required but are recommended.
鈥� Odette Estate allows leashed dogs in outdoor tasting areas. The estate features an open patio with cushioned benches and a fire pit. By appointment only.
Odette Estate鈥檚 sister wineries, CADE on Howell Mountain and PlumpJack in Napa, also allow leashed dogs in their outdoor tasting areas.
鈥� Trefethen Family Vineyards had to temporarily deny access to guests of the four-legged variety after damage from the 2014 earthquake forced the tasting room into temporary quarters.
But the popular Rutherford winery recently welcomed dogs back with the opening of 鈥淰illa Trefethen,鈥� once home to vineyard founders Katie and Gene Trefethen, now hosting tastings in the salon and sunroom and on the deck. Reservations are required to visit the villa, but if it鈥檚 midweek you can usually get in on the same day.
Want more?
You can find a list of dog-friendly wineries at napavintners.com/wineries/ wineries鈥攄og鈥攆riendly.asp.
