Sonoma Dog-friendly Wineries, Restaurants and other Places of Interest

Laurie and I love our dogs. Wherever our road trips take us, our two dogs are right with us. The following are some little-known road trip insights.

Although Northern California wine country offers hundreds of different wine tasting rooms, our favorites are in the Sonoma-Russian River area.  From our regular visits to the Sonoma coast we’ve compiled a list of wineries and restaurants we enjoy  …and welcome our canine friends.  If your special four-legged friend travels with you, I recommend visiting the following are places.  Note:  although these are dog-friendly establishments, you’ll find they’re ‘destination-worthy’ even if you don’t have your own co-pilot canine.

Looking for a Good Sonoma Restaurant?

The Backyard

(certified dog-friendly)

Location:  6566 Front St, Forestville, CA 95436

Phone: (707) 820-8445

When preparing for a full-day of wine drinking (tasting), I always say, ‘start the day with alota good food.’  If you embark on your wine adventures without a full stomach , you’ll find yourself on your knees crawling from the car to the tasting room by the 6th vineyard.  My recommendation?  Just north of Sebastapol, in Forestville, you’ll find a small restaurant with good eats, known as: the Backyard.  This old-time-inn-now-restaurant has some of the best breakfasts and brunches Sonoma has to offer.  If weather permits, I recommend a seat in the outdoor courtyard (where your well-behaved dog may accompany you).

A Foodie Bonus:  Don’t expect a ‘greasy-spoon’ menu at the Backyard.  All food is fresh; and the restaurant makes a point of letting you know. The menu’s left margin presents a list of local farms from where they source their produce.  

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Where are the Sonoma Dog-friendly Wineries?

Fort Ross Vineyard

(certified dog-friendly)

Location: 15725 Meyers Grade Rd, Jenner, CA 95450

Phone: (707) 847-3460

Located about 25 minutes northeast of Jenner, Laurie and I were recently introduced to the winery by our friend, Julie.  Unlike the sardine-packed tasting rooms in south Sonoma County, few tourists know about this gem.  Nestled in the redwood dotted mountains, this 2 year-old winery will soon become a destination hotspot for out-of-towners.  So, if you’d rather taste wine in relaxed setting, visit this vineyard soon, before the rest of the SF Bay Area discover its charm. 

 

The Tasting Room

Fort Ross’ tasting room is beautiful. Of the hundreds of wineries in the area, this is the only one, I can recall, being amongst the redwoods.  On nice days, I recommend taking in the weather, the scenery and the wine on the outdoor balcony.  There, you can relax, sip wine, and gaze at redwood ridge line and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.   Your canine friends are also welcome on the patio (however, bringing them inside the building is a no-no). 

 

The Fort Ross Wine

Of the wines on the tasting menu (the day we visited), I enjoyed the Chardonnay the most.  This winery also holds a specialty in producing delicious Pinotage wines.  Pinotage is a rarely seen grape in California; and the wine Fort Ross produces from this grape is unique, while embodying characteristics of a Pinot Noir.  Dale, our server, mentioned the root stock for the Pinotage crop has South Africa origins.  

On your drive from the winery, be sure to pass through the lush Cazadero area.  The Cazadero forest receives so much rain each year, it’s considered Northern California’s only rain forest. 

Below are some photos I took while at the Fort Ross Vineyard.

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Graton Ridge Cellars

(certified dog-friendly)

Location:  3561 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol, CA 

Phone:  (707) 823-3040

At any given time, Laurie and I hold memberships with two or three wineries.  Of our three current memberships, Graton Ridge is one of them.  Why?  Because good white wine is generally difficult to come by, and Graton Ridge produces some of the best.  This winery is a small producer and their wines (like all the best wines of Northern California) aren’t sold retail outside of the region.  Although only service dogs and Bella (the resident winery dog) are allowed in the tasting room, you can enjoy your good pour in the bocci ball courtyard.  Their tasting room is  a mere five minute drive north of downtown Sebastapol, …and worth it.

A Foodie Bonus:  Each growing season, Graton Ridge Cellars reserves a small patch of land for growing produce.  For a small donation, you can pick up a some over-stock locally grown veggies.  Look for the produce wagon near the vineyard entrance. 

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