Yolo County, best known as the home of UC Davis, is also an emerging wine region bursting with dog-friendly surprises. Start your explorations in the south part of the county along Highway 160, the “River Road.” A major destination here (and one perfect for a rainy day) is the Old Sugar Mill, a repurposed beet-processing factory housing 10 dog-friendly tasting rooms and hosting special events many weekends. Nearby Miner’s Leap Winery features a beautifully landscaped, dog-friendly outdoor seating area beside a picturesque old barn housing the winery.
New on the scene in the Clarksburg region is Julietta Winery, whose tasting room, flanked with covered patios, is tucked into a bucolic rural landscape. Wines are made mostly from Napa-sourced grapes, and there’s often live music on Sundays.
Another rewarding Yolo County destination is Winters, where you can duck into the Turkovich Family Wines tasting room for a sample of their award-winning tempranillo, then mosey around the corner for more tasting at Main Street Cellars and the Berryessa Gap tasting bar.
For more on Yolo County wineries:
Yearning for Yolo
Yolo County Wine Trail
Clarksburg Wine Trail
Photo credit: Tasty Snaks (CC)