Northern California’s love affair with craft beer and local wines just keeps getting stronger, with new breweries and wineries springing up all over Oakland and the Tri-Valley region. In Oakland, you and your four-legged buddy can walk from venue to venue along the Oakland Urban Wine Trail, enjoy tasting at nine dog-friendly establishments and pause to eat and shop along the way.
If beer is you preference, you’ll find 48 brews on tap along with dog-friendly patio tables and a very mellow vibe at Beer Revolution on Jack London Square. At the more out-of-the-way Telegraph Bar and Beer Garden, you’ll share a picnic table with locals both human and canine while noshing on sandwiches both traditional (burgers) and unusual (green bean, pesto and cheese, for example).
The Tri-Valley area, one of California’s earliest wine regions, now boasts more than 50 wineries spread over three adjacent valleys. The region’s boutique labels are produced in small lots and not widely known, which makes it all the more fun to discover something new. The verdant Livermore Valley is the biggest overall producer, with about 40 wineries, most of them dog-friendly, cradled in its rolling hills.
DogTrekker staff favorites include El Sol, where dogs can join you on the patio; Fenestra, where you and yours can sip and nibble in a lovely picnic area; and Las Positas, where the dog-friendly picnic area boasts stellar vineyard views. Another fail-safe choice: Garré Winery and Café, whose Italian roots are reflected in the restaurant’s Mediterranean lunch menu and the bocce courts just outside. Take a seat on the expansive patio (dogs welcome, of course) and ask the server to pair your dishes with wines made from grapes grown right outside the door.
While the Tri-Valley region is best known for its wines, craft breweries are drawing an ever-increasing share of visitors. Some 18 breweries, tap rooms and beer-centric restaurants, 14 of them dog-friendly, are represented on the Tri-Valley Craft Beer Trail. Many are conveniently situated just off Interstates 680 and 580, the region’s primary transportation corridors. Check out their profiles on DogTrekker.com, pull up a stump, give your dog a pat and enjoy!
Photo Credit: @catlovesjaggerdwagger
