Best Dog-Friendly Wineries Near Washington, DC

There is no doubt about it, Mom and Dad love wine. As a pup, Navy is not allowed to drink wine (or grape juice for that matter) but wineries are a great dog friendly option for adults and their furry friends. Northern Virginia is filled with excellent wineries. We racked and stacked and rated our top dog friendly wineries in Northern Virginia.

*The Virginia Legislature recently passed a bill that will allow dogs inside wineries (at the winery’s discretion) beginning July 1, 2018.* When considering our top wineries, we ranked them based on their current dog friendly amenities.

GOLD: 8 Chains North Winery

Waterford, VA

• 48 miles from DC (~1 hour)

This small, family owned winery is located in Loudoun County’s Waterford Virginia, just about an hour outside of Washington, DC. After a quick tasting, we bought a bottle of the rose — highly recommended! 8 Chains hosts live music most weekends and allows dogs on leash on their main patio. The greatest part about this winery is that pups are allowed off leash at their very own enclosed dog park. This fenced-in, grassy area is for dogs and their owners only. No dogs allowed without their humans, and no humans allowed without a dog. There are several large picnic tables and chairs underneath the shade for patrons to enjoy a bottle of wine and their picnic while their dog plays in the grassy lawn.

SILVER: Barrel Oak Winery

Delaplane, VA

• 52 miles from DC (~58 min)

We jump for joy when we see “dogs welcome” on a winery’s website. Take a look at Barrel Oak’s website … dogs everywhere! We could not make a list of dog friendly wineries in Northern Virginia without mentioning Barrel Oak Winery. Dogs tout the bottles of their wines, paw prints scattered across the menus, and even a dog on staff — there is no questioning that this winery is dog friendly. Well behaved dogs on leash are welcome inside and outside this winery. We recommend trying the BowHaus White or the Cabernet Sauvignon.

BRONZE: Chrysalis Vineyards

Middleburg, VA

• 38 miles from DC (~1 hour)

On a quick google search of dog friendly wineries in Northern Virginia, Chrysalis Vineyards may not come up. We only found out about this winery through friends of ours who know the owner. What we loved most about this winery was the quiet and relaxed atmosphere, spectacular views, very reasonably priced wine and great tasting, and ample covered outdoor seating. Don’t you hate when you go somewhere and within a few minutes you feel like you know everything about the table next to you — not at Chrysalis! We were able to kick our feet up, enjoy our wine and snacks, and feel like we had the winery to ourselves. Navy enjoyed taking a little nap and cooling off in the shade. Dogs must be leashed at all times at Chrysalis. Because the tasting room is home to the Locksley Farmstead Cheese creamery, dogs are not allowed inside the tasting room itself. There is however, a small tasting bar outside where dogs can accompany their parents. We recommend trying the 2017 Albariño Verde or the 2016 Sarah’s Patio White wines.

Honorable Mention: Stone Tower Winery

Leesburg, VA

• 45 miles from DC (~1 hr)

And honorable mention goes to … Stone Tower Winery! We wanted to include Stone Tower because this winery is absolutely gorgeous and the wines are delicious. Dogs are welcome inside the Harvest Barn tasting room and throughout the property’s public areas. Dogs must remain leashed at all times. If you do decide to head to Stone Tower with your dog, be sure to arrive as early as possible so you can reserve seating, because it does get crowded. This popular winery does have plenty of outdoor seating, but it will fill up very fast. Navy was a little overwhelmed by the crowdedness and the amount of people walking by our table. The 2016 Wild Boar Malbec and 2017 Estate Sauvignon Blanc are pricey, but worth trying.

While all wineries listed above are dog friendly, we highly recommend reading through their dog policies before planning your trip. It also is a good idea to call ahead and make sure dogs are welcome the day you plan on attending! Reminder, while you are their to enjoy the wine and views; please pack water, toys, poop bags, and snacks for your pup!!!

Happy sipping 😉

– Navy.