Nothing like a change of scenery to cleanse your soul! If wine tasting is on your agenda, know that Mendocino County is home to 10 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) lumped together under the Mendocino County label.
While there are many dog-friendly wineries scattered about, it makes sense if you’re a newbie to the area to follow a designated “wine road.” There are two: One is the inland Hopland Highway Wine Road, while the other cruises through the Yorkville Highlands and Anderson Valley via Highway 128. On either, you’ll find a multitude of opportunities to sip and swirl with your dog by your side (either inside or outside; be sure to check).
As for highlights? The scenic Highway 128 Wine Road stretches 55 miles from Boonville in the south to Leggett in the north. The star attraction is the Anderson Valley wine region, encompassing the Boonville, Philo, Yorkville Highlands and Navarro regions. Get a feel for funky Boonville (ask a local to say something in “Boonting,” a jargon language spoken nowhere else) at Breggo Cellars, where tastings can be conducted outside to accommodate visitors accompanied by their pets. Nearby Toulouse offers another enthusiastic welcome, along with a picnic area with sweeping views of valley vineyards. Husch Vineyards, the oldest winery in the valley, makes more than 20 varieties of vino and welcomes furry friends in a pony barn converted into a tasting room.
Moving over to the Hopland Wine Road (Highway 101 from Hopland in the south to Willits in the north), you’ll find about two dozen tasting rooms, most dog-friendly. A standout is Campovida, an organic food-and-wine complex on a former Fetzer estate. Sample estate-grown olive oils along with your wine, then stroll the 12-acre biodynamic gardens.
Nearby Terra Savia Winery also makes wine and olive oils and maintains a press to process much of the oil produced in the region (visit in November to see the press in action). Right in downtown Hopland, McFadden Farm Stand and tasting room showcases wines and a variety of irresistible gift items including (just in time for the holidays) fresh wreaths and garlands.
