Barra of Mendocino

October is prime time to pack the corkscrew, the leash and your four-legged friend for a trip up north to Mendocino County, where the vineyards are blazing with fall color and the mood everywhere is as mellow as can be. The county’s 11 diverse appellations each express a style of their own, and while you can hardly sample them all in a weekend, you can choose an itinerary along one of the county’s “wine roads.”  more »

OK, nobody can visit four dozen dog-friendly wineries on one trip! Nevertheless, that’s how many await along the Highway 128 and Highway 101 corridors. Pick a region and let serendipity be your guide as you spend a leisurely day wine-tasting with your pup. more »

Mendocino County’s 47 wineries produce many reds, of course, but crisp viogniers and other whites are also specialties of the region. If visiting in winter, when inclement weather is a possibility, you might want to do a little homework in advance to select establishments that welcome dogs in their tasting rooms as well as in their outdoor picnic areas. more »