9 Pet-Friendly Wineries

1

Americana Vineyards, Interlaken, New York

Americana Vineyards is located on 75-acres in the Finger Lakes wine country where leashed dogs are free to roam.

“A lot of people travel with their furry family members, and we’ve always welcomed them” says Joseph Gober Jr., owner of the winery.

Expect a pet-friendly lawn where you and your dog can watch concerts, a pond where your dog can swim and a dog-friendly winery and tasting room. Owners can nosh on food from the on-site café on the patio with their dogs by their sides.

Americana also sometimes includes dogs on its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. After your visit, check those social media feeds to see if your pooch appears.

Americana Vineyards is open seven days a week and is closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving.

2

Working Dog Winery, Robbinsville, New Jersey

The owners of Working Dog Winery in Central New Jersey know how important dogs are to their owners. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome throughout the 120-acre property. The winery’s expansive field is a great place where dogs can roam and the pet-friendly patio is an ideal spot where dogs and their owners can rest in the shade.

All of the wine labels here feature photos of dogs. One of the wines, called Retriever, is named after Chester, one of the winery’s original vineyard dogs. The red blend is a small-batch Meritage, typically featuring a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot grapes.

The winery also hosts an annual 5K every spring that benefits a local dog rescue organization. Owners are free to run the race with their pooches.

If you pop in during the week, expect to see a winery dog or two. The tasting room is open on Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3

Chateau Morrisette, Floyd, Virginia

Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome at one of Virginia’s oldest wineries, Chateau Morrisette. All the labels on the wine feature Hans—the winery’s first dog. According to marketing director Keith Toler, the dogs were meant to make the wine less intimidating and more approachable when the winery first opened in 1978.

Dogs are welcome in the tasting room where owners can taste wine and purchase the winery’s branded leashes, dog collars, dog bowls and accessories. They’re also welcome on the patio of the vineyard’s restaurant. According to Toler, the winery is also one of the few places that allows leashed dogs at the winery’s festivals.

The tasting room is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tastings cost eight dollars per adult or ten dollars for the tasting and souvenir glass. Tours of the cellar are complimentary and last for 30 minutes.

4

Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane, Virginia

Virginia’s Barrel Oak Winery (or BOW) has always been dog friendly, reflecting the owner’s interests.

“The owners love all things furry,” says Bob Grouge, director of events and the tasting room. Dogs appear on the wine labels and dogs are welcome in the tasting room and on the patio that overlooks central Virginia’s rolling green hills.

Some of BOW’s wines are also named after dogs. Barrel Oak’s Peanut Cuvee is limited run red-blend wine named after one of the owner’s dogs, Peanut. The winery’s Chocolate Lab is a popular, port-style dessert wine.

From May to November, the tasting room is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

From December to April, the winery is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tasting prices start at seven dollars.

5

Crane Creek Vineyards, Young Harris, Georgia

When you pull up to the Crane Creek Vineyard, expect a warm welcome from the three vineyard dogs on property: Peanut, Crash and Scruffy

“They are the welcome committee,” says Darbie Marchman, the winery’s tasting room manager. “They meet everybody in the parking lot and show ‘em the way to the tasting room.”

The dogs live on property with the winery’s owners (one’s a veterinarian) and the general manager. And that’s just the start. In keeping with the dog-welcoming atmosphere, Crane Creek sells Sweet Sally, a sweet Southern white wine named after one of the winery’s yellow, “almost white” labs, and all dogs are welcome in the tasting room where they can lounge on dog beds.

Outside the tasting room, dogs can roam around the 40-acre farm the winery is located on or swim in the property’s pond. About once a month, the winery hosts a donation-only yoga class that benefits a local humane society or another pet-friendly charity. If you’re looking to stay overnight, you can book the pet-friendly Vine Keeper’s Cottage that’s mere steps from the vineyard.

From January through March the tasting room is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

From April through December the tasting room is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Wine tastings cost five dollars.

6

Sleeping Dog Wines, Benton City, Washington

“Dogs are kind of at the center of this whole concept,” says Sleeping Dog Winery owner Larry Oates. “Wines and dogs have two common characteristics: as they mature, their character improves and so does their nose.”

Following the maxim of “let sleeping dogs lie,” Oates lets his wine age in bottles for several years, and, as you might have guessed, the labels feature a drawing of a sleeping dog—a rescue pup named Aurora who was in the Oates’ lives for 12 years. Sleeping Dog Wines, located in part of the state’s Yakima wine-making region, gets all of their grapes from the surrounding Washington area and makes 500 or fewer bottles of each wine.

The winery is located on 100-acres, giving dogs plenty of spaces to run. The tasting room, located in a former two-car garage, is dog-friendly and stocked with dog treats.

From April to November, the winery is open Thursday to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. During specific event weekends, the winery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The winery is also open by appointment.

7

Plum Hill Vineyard, Gaston, Oregon

About 40 minutes from Portland, Plum Hill Vineyard is located on a former diary and features views of the hills and a pet-friendly patio overlooking the vineyard. The pet-friendly amenities here are pretty impressive. Dogs can play in a large, fenced-in area and get treats and water from the winery. Each employee here brings their dog to work and, if you visit, you might spot the owners’ dog, Ghost, a friendly 147-pound white lab.

“Our tasting room can frequently be known to have at least two to three dogs a day. On some days there are as many dogs as people visiting,” says co-manager Kathy Compton.

Plum Hill decided to welcome dogs about several years ago after the owners saw a hole in the market they could fill.

“Our winery is close to a big recreational lake where folks bring their families and pets. We’d find that folks were coming to see us after visiting the lake, but were leaving their dogs in the car. That wasn’t acceptable to us. We decided to not only make the winery enjoyable for people, but enjoyable for pets as well,” says winery Owner RJ Lint.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day the winery is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

From Labor Day to Memorial Day the winery is open Monday to Saturday is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. A standard tasting costs ten dollars and features up to ten wines with food pairings.

8

Oak Mountain Winery, Temecula, California

Oak Mountain Winery is dedicated to wine and dogs. About a decade ago, the winery started its nonprofit, Cause Fur Paws, to help owners of dogs with diabetes pay for medicine, veterinary services and other expenses. The winery started the organization when their dog, Petie, developed diabetes.

“We have helped hundreds of people pay for their insulin and needles, prescription food and more over the years when they can’t afford their animals care,” says Valerie Andrews, vice president of the winery.

Petie even has a wine named after him (he’s on the label too) and a portion of the proceeds are donated to Cause Fur Paws. Oak Mountain’s Windy Ridge label and For Pete’s Sake wines both benefit diabetic animals and senior dogs from local area shelters.

Inside the tasting room, pet parents will find a plethora of dog-centric goods. The winery sells gourmet dog cookies, beer- and wine-inspired squeaky toys, dog- and cat-themed wine glasses, animal artwork, wine-bottle candles, and dog-themed kitchen towels. The winery also holds various events that benefits dog charities and well-mannered dogs are allowed on the winery and in the tasting room.

The winery also offers views of the rolling hills that Southern California is known for, giving guests sweeping views of Temecula at 1,450 feet above sea level.

Oak Mountain is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

9

Mutt Lynch Winery, Windsor, California

Mutt Lynch Winery in Sonoma Country has been devoted to dogs since it opened in 1995. Dogs are welcome in the tasting room, which is located in downtown Windsor and provides pet parents with a more urban setting where they can enjoy wine and spend time with with their dogs. Here, dogs can also enjoy biscuits and gourmet treats and owners can purchase wine-themed dog toys. Pet parents can also dress up their dogs at the winery’s annual Howl-O-Ween Spooktacular in October and the Holiday Ugly Sweater Party in December.

“When we started Mutt Lynch, we knew our mission would be two-fold—to make great wine and to give dogs a leg up, so to speak, along the way. It’s been a fantastic and continuing adventure. We invite everyone to sample the great wines we make and to enjoy the dog-centric experience that is Mutt Lynch Winery,” says owner and winemaker Brenda Lynch.

Mutt Lynch features wines including the Chateau d’Og Cabernet Sauvignon, Fou Fou le Blanc Sauvignon Blanc, Unleashed Chardonnay, Portrait of a Mutt Zinfandel and Merlot Over and Play Dead. Dogs also adorn the bottle’s labels and a portion of proceeds from every bottle of Mutt Lynch is donated to support local animal rescue organizations.

The winery is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.