GRAPEVINE
MATT FITZSIMMONS
The Doggie Dozen: Pet Friendly Wineries in Virginia
Left to Right: Barrel Oak Pooch; Cana Canine; Maggie Malick Wine Cave Pup; Valley View Hound
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here are roughly 90 million dogs in the United States. By comparison, there are around 75 million children. So saying that dog friendly wineries are important to a lot of people is a huge understatement. The popularity of petfriendly destinations was demonstrated in 2017, when the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services tried to ban pets at licensed wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Pet owners were so incensed that a year later the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate passed a near unanimous vote to re-allow four-legged friends at these locations. Out of Virginia’s over 300 wineries, cideries, and meaderies, almost half allow dogs on the premises. That said, some wineries go the extra mile to give dogs special treatment, oftentimes by hosting special dog-themed events, supporting dog shelters, or having special amenities inside the tasting room. 36 | August 2021
Northern Virginia Barrel Oak Winery: Barrel Oak Winery isn’t abbreviated “BOW” for nothing. Year after year, it’s been rated one of the most dog-friendly wineries in the state (many would argue it’s the dog-friendliest one of all). BOW earns this distinction by having a tasting room that’s pet-friendly to the point there are almost as many 4-legged friends as there are wine drinkers. BOW also provides cups of water for your pets and have several bottles with dog-themed names, including its Bowhause Red blend and a traminette/ petit manseng blend named Goldie. Bonus points for supporting local dog shelters, having its own brewery, and being open seven days a week. Breaux Vineyards: Breaux would almost certainly respectfully disagree that BOW is Virginia’s most dogfriendly winery. Not content with a huge outdoor space, several years ago Breaux converted its original tasting room into a dog-friendly location named Vin 97. They also hold an annual “Dog Day”, with the next one scheduled for August 28th. Be sure to try their nebbiolo – not only is Breaux one of the few local wineries that grow this grape, theirs was selected as one of the top 12 wines in the most recent Governor’s Cup wine competition. Also sample their
sauvignon blanc and Meritage red blend. Cana Vineyards: Inspired by the Biblical story of how Jesus turned water into wine, Cana is one of the best-named wineries anywhere. Located just outside Middleburg, the ground floor of Cana’s tasting room is both dog and familyfriendly. They even have a ‘bark bar’ with treats (for dogs, not humans!). For pups who want to be outside, Cana also offers a large covered outdoor space. Don’t miss their cabernet franc or chardonnay either. Maggie Malick Wine Caves: Jet and Moxie are Maggie’s official greeters. A few years ago the ‘Wine Caves’ expanded to include a large indoor space, which is also pet-friendly. Maggie offers a number of unique dog-friendly events. On August 14 they are seeking to break the world record for most Australian Shepherds in one place. They also host ‘DockDogs’, where dogs compete for fastest sprint, air jump, or long jump – all safely held at one of their ponds. While the dogs are cooling off, humans can enjoy any of Maggie’s award-winning wines. Maggie is famous for her tannat, twice winning best-in-show at the San Francisco
International Wine Competition. Her albariño and petit manseng have also gotten rave reviews from wine critics. Mountain Run Winery: Mountain Run is about an hour away from D.C, near the town of Culpeper. Dogs are allowed inside the tasting room and around its 35 acres of land. It’s easy to tell that Mountain Run is GRAPEVINE > PAGE 37
Old Town Crier
