It was all planned out: a trip to Folly Beach, South Carolina, a barrier island off the coast of Charleston, in early May of 2020. Cork Hounds had hoped to attend a “dog-centric” event at a local vineyard on Wadmalaw Island and check out some nearby breweries. But unfortunately it never happened – none of it. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic did happen, followed by the lockdown. The island was closed to visitors and our trip was canceled.

We were deflated and disappointed but that’s how much of 2020 went. Things were only marginally better in 2021 and we just didn’t have the enthusiasm in 2022 to make the trip. But 2023 felt different. So, we decided it was time to go.

In June, Cork Hounds left Northern Virginia and headed to Charleston, South Carolina at long last. We ended up staying just minutes away from Folly Beach in an area overlooking a beautiful marsh with inlets out to the sea. Each day we watched the tides rise and fall bringing with them birds, rays, crabs and even a few dolphins.

During our stay, we visited a local brewery and a nearby vineyard. South Carolina has only a handful of vineyards and only one fully dog-friendly vineyard – the one we stopped at. Breweries are far more plentiful. There are quite a few in Charleston and the surrounding towns.

Places visited:

Deep Water Vineyard

6775 Bears Bluff Rd
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
843-559-6867
Dog-friendly: Outside, Patio, Inside

Deep Water Vineyard has cultivated a very Southern experience for its visitors. Here, you can sip wine under oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. It’s charming and also practical as the shade these large trees provide helps keep everyone cool and comfortable on hot summer days. It was bustling on the Saturday we visited. You’ll need to book a tasting room timeslot at one of their outside booths once you arrive. The wait is typically around 30 minutes. Deep Water has a wide variety of red and white wines to try. In addition, they make mead and non-alcoholic beverages, labeled as juice. They grow muscadine and vinifera grapes, but also ship grapes in from California. While they do offer sweeter wines, featuring the full and fruity muscadine, they do have some dryer wines to try, like Cabernet Sauvignon
and Chardonnay. And If you are feeling adventurous, be sure to try their Palmetto Pepper, a jalapeño wine.

After our tasting, we found a picnic table in the shade on the grounds behind the main buildings. A band played live music – a regular occurrence on the weekends during peak season. They also have a food truck onsite, good for those who'd rather not bring their own. We grabbed a glass of Magnolia wine along with some food truck grub and sat back and enjoyed Low Country life.

Our favorites: Magnolia, Low Tide, Deep Water Blend Rose, and Starry Sky

Frothy Beard Brewing Company

1401 Sam Rittenberg Blvd
Charleston, SC 2940
843-872-4201
Dog-friendly: Outside, Patio

If you are looking for a Charleston dog-friendly brewery with a covered patio, look no further than Frothy Beard Brewing Company. They make great pizza and local craft beer to wash it down with. Since they serve food, dogs are not permitted inside, but the attached patio is large and includes a water bowl refill station for thirsty pups. There is some shade – provided by triangle shaped awnings. We ordered two flights of 4 beers (4 oz. each). They have sours, lighter beers, ales, hops, darks and even a cider – along with some non-alcoholic options. We got a mix of sours, lights and cider. If you're a Star Wars fan, be sure to try their Mandalorian inspired Tangalorian, a tangerine kettle sour.

Our favorites: Cider, Tangalorian, and Great White Wit

I love a glass of cider, fermented or not. The crispy refreshing taste hits the spot whether in the fall or during the heat of the summer. Cider has a long and storied history in this country. Early settlers planted apple trees in abundance (thank you Johnny Appleseed) and pressed the fruit into cider – which was often safer to drink than water.

Some cider factoids: Washington state is the nation’s top apple producer, followed by New York and Michigan. It takes about 36 apples to make one gallon of cider. No, cider is not a kind of beer. Because it is fermented like grapes, it’s more closely related to wine making. When you visit a cider house, call it a cidery or a winery, but please don’t call it a brewery.

Cork Hounds recently visited some cider tasting rooms near our home base of DC / Northern Virginia. All offered a wide variety of ciders – many infused with other fruits, like mango, peach and blackberry. If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by these establishments or use our database to explore cideries in your own neck of the woods. And if you run a cider house, please add your information to our database! We’d love to help bring more customers to your door.

Cideries visited:

Capitol Cider House

3930 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20011
202-621-0982
Dog friendly: Outside

As urban as it gets, Capital Cider House is located in DC's up and coming Petworth neighborhood. Accessible via Metro train, green and yellow lines, Capitol Cider makes for a great pit stop if you are visiting DC and utilizing the mass transit system to tour all the museums and monuments. Small pets in a carrier are allowed to join you on public transport in Washington, D.C. They are allowed on both Metrorail and Metrobus, as long as they are in a secure container the entire time.

If you are bringing your dog, there is an outside area with picnic tables that you can hangout in. Dogs are not allowed inside, unfortunately. Capitol Cider has mainstay ciders like, Cuvee (light+crisp) and Grape Crush (smooth+fruit) and Hot Damn Peach (peach+spices) as well as small batch experimental offerings like, Apple Bottom Greens (infused with Yaupon tea) Dark Mango (mango black tea+honey) and Blackberry Mosaic (blackberries, sage+mosaic hops). You can get a tasting flight of four or by the glass. I personally enjoyed the Dark Mango.

Lost Boy Cider

317 Hooffs Run Dr, Alexandria, VA 22314
703-566-5737
Dog friendly: Outside, Inside tasting room – there’s a grassy area directly across the street with a doggie poo station. Ideal for must needed potty breaks.

Located in a large industrial warehouse, Lost Boy Cider has ample indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor area has roughly 8 picnic tables. The tasting room is “open-air” and configured to allow “customers to become part of the cellar with direct access to our tank farm and lab.” The servers bring water bowls for the pups to your table, a very thoughtful gesture, especially on a warm day. Lost Boy offers a wide variety of ciders – available by the glass in flights. Their seasonally changing limited releases include, Cherry Blossom, Ruby Red and Plum Wild. They also have a cider that tastes like wine, called Wine Time. I personally enjoyed the co-fermented raspberry Wingman (inspired by the movie Top Gun).

Cobbler Mountain Cider

5909 Long Fall Ln, Delaplane, VA 20144
571-484-0735
Dog friendly: Outside, Inside tasting room

Cobbler Mountain Cider is in fact on a mountain in rural Virginia. It’s about an hour’s drive from DC. The trip is scenic and traffic is typically light. Once you park the car, it’s a steep, but short walk to the tasting room. Cobbler Mountain has just about every apple+fruit flavor you can think of – cranberry, mango, grape, strawberry, pomegranate and more. They even offer some non-fruit flavors like ginger and snickerdoodle. I highly recommend getting some flights to share so you can sample a wide variety. Or grab some bottles to go and continue tasting when you get home. It’s a bit tight inside, with several large tables on the first and second levels, but plenty of outdoor seating if the weather cooperates. City life will seem a world away as you sip and look out over the countryside!

The Russian River Valley is a popular and productive wine region in northern California. Located in Sonoma County, this area is known for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sought-after old vine Zinfandel, according to Sonoma County Tourism (SCT).

There's no shortage of places to visit with your pup. We checked our database and there are over 30 wineries in this area that welcome dogs.

Full disclosure, this trip wasn't focused just on promoting Cork Hounds. I was visiting the area for a good friend's bachelorette weekend. But I figured why not take the opportunity to let businesess know about our amazing FREE service!

Here are some photos from the places we tasted wines at. Celebrating = Bubbly was a big theme for the trip.

Long before Ocean City became the beach destination it is today, people living in the DC-metro area would seek respite on the shores of the Potomac river. Spots like Colonial Beach, with its sandy beach and gentle waves, drew crowds to this small community. Even Alexander Graham Bell visited. He liked it so much he built a home that still stands today.

A drive around the town hints at the past. Victorian homes mixed in amongst more modern construction. Old time murals painted to reflect and appeal to those who may have visited more than a century ago. Cute, charming, quaint. But Colonial Beach isn’t merely stuck in the past. It’s become a thriving golf-cart community for retirees and a boating hub with no less than 3 marinas in the area.

Cork Hounds spent a week in Colonial Beach in the summer of 2022. We rented a cottage right on the Potomac. The views were spectacular. And of course we checked out a local brewery and winery!

Table of Contents
Brewery Visited
Vineyard Visited
Dog-Friendly Resturant
Another Winery/Brewery To Try

Brewery Visited

Colonial Beach Brewing
215C Washington Ave
Colonial Beach, VA, 22443
804-214-7530
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio, inside the tasting room

Located right in town, Colonial Beach Brewing offers seating outside on their covered patio to humans and furpups. It’s a local joint with dottings of visitors like ourselves. They are very welcoming to guests with dogs, and offer water bowls for thirsty pups. We wanted to sample as much of their brews as possible so we ordered two flights of 4. The Angler’s Apple beer, and the Sour Seaman Blueberry Wheat beer were my favorites, while co-founder Jeremy preferred the Beach Blond Ale, the Washington Wheat, and Ironclad Irish Stout beer. Sour beers are challenging, and I thought the Sour Seaman had just the right amount of tanginess. All the beers were great, and the light/hoppy offerings were perfect for cooling off on a hot Summer day.

Vineyard Visited

Monroe Bay Winery
4786 James Monroe Hwy
Colonial Beach, VA 22443
804-410-5628
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio

Just south of Colonial Beach is beautiful Monroe Bay. A great place to watch the sunset over the Potomac. Nearby, just off the highway is Monroe Bay Winery. They have a huge tasting room that also serves as a banquet hall for weddings and special events. Cork Hounds sampled a variety of wines inspired by the owner’s love of France. We particularly liked the Viognier and Petit Manseng. The Traminette and Blue Heron Rosé were also tasty. The heron is a major player in their wine. Not only is the large bird included in the names of somes of the wines, a large heron stands proudly on their labels. They have tables set up for sipping but alas, there’s no views of the river. My suggestion would be to taste and get some bottles to go and head out for a spot with a view.

Dog-Friendly Resturant

Dockside Restaurant & Tiki Bar
1787 Castlewood Dr
Colonial Beach, VA 22443
804-224-8726
dog-friendly: outdoors and on patio

Transport yourself to Margaretaville. Located at the southern tip of Colonial Beach, and part of a large bustling marina, is Dockside Restaurant & Tiki Bar. It's a place not be missed when visiting the area. They are very dog-friendly, the food is pretty darn good and the tiki bar cocktail menu is fun and funky. You'll probably want to try a couple of drinks before you leave. The views of the water and nearby beach are gorgious. Sit back and take it in.

Another Winery/Brewery To Try

Here are two other places in the area to try local wines and beers. We didn’t get to them ourselves, so if you go, let us know about your visit and enter our photo contest for a chance to win a prize!

Ice House Brewery & Kitchen
119 Monroe Bay Ave
Colonial Beach, Virginia 22443
804-410-2016
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio

Not just a brewery and a kitchen, Ice House also is a Marina with overnight accommodations. Their beer/ale list includes cream, brown, wheat and Irish ales. They also have a coupe of Virginia wines available by the glass.

Ingleside Vineyards
5872 Leedstown Road
Oak Grove, Virginia 22443
804-224-8687
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio

This vineyard has been making wine in Virginia for over 30 years. They are a top media pick for wine tastings in the state.There’s ample outdoor seating for picnicking. Tastings include 5 wines and a souvenir glass.

We at Cork Hounds love dog-friendly vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies. Why? Because we love to travel and dislike leaving our pups home alone for hours. Having them with us allows more time for exploration. It’s nice to know that places like vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies are welcoming to our furbabies. But enough about us, we asked you (our most loyal followers) why you love dog-friendly vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies and want to share what you told us. So, here is what you told us about taking your pup with you:

• He enjoys going with us as much as we enjoy going. He loves to share everything with us.

• She’s my favorite company :)

• In exploring our favorite pastime of experiencing new breweries and wineries we’ve seen that most are very well equipped for bringing along your pets. They have great outdoor areas and room for everyone to spread out on a nice day. Breweries and wineries are a great way to enjoy being out and not having to leave part of the family behind.

• We love outdoor adventures and I feel like the best place to do that with your four legged friend is to visit dog friendly vineyards. We love our dogs and we make a point to take them with us everywhere we go.

• So we can bring our best friend to hang out with us while we enjoy tasty treats!

• Being able to relax outside having a glass of wine with our fur babies is super rewarding.

Businesses have two main reasons for allowing dogs. First, many are passionate about dogs and want them to be a part of the experience, and second, it makes good business sense. Visitors with dogs can stay longer than visitors who leave their dogs at home unattended. That translates into revenue. About 20 percent of Barrel Oak Winery’s (BOW) revenue comes from visitors with their dogs, according to its owner, Brian Roeder. The work to maintain the property with all the dogs, keeping everyone safe and happy, adds to the work for everyone at BOW, said Roeder. But, he and the staff love their dog guests and the added patronage keeps the winery going. [Read our blog/interview with BOW owner Brian Roeder].

We also asked you what these businesses could do differently to improve your experience and you had some great suggestions:

• Offer some interior seating options in inclimate weather.

• Some places don’t allow pets on the furniture. I wish this was a case by case situation.

• Having water stations and bowls, along with dog waste stations make pet owners feel invited with their pets.

• I think it would be great if dog-friendly vineyards had a fenced in yard area so the pups could run wild and free. Also putting dog-friendly signs on doors would be extra helpful because we often run into rude comments from other customers about dogs being there even though it's a dog-friendly business.

We’re very fortunate that so many vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies welcome dogs. But keep in mind, it’s not always up to the owners to make that call – some states, through food/health and safety regulations, make it difficult or impossible for these businesses to be dog-friendly.

Finally, a reminder to remember your doggy etiquette when visiting a vineyard, winery, brewery or meadery. Set an example of good behavior so that businesses will feel good about allowing dogs.

We are in the midst of a dog-friendly event resurgence as vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies return to pre-pandemic level activities. In 2020, with the lockdown, there were no events. In 2021, we tracked a few, but far fewer than in previous years. Now, in 2022, Cork Hounds is tracking 11 dog-friendly events for Spring! And we know there are more out there. If you know of an upcoming event or are hosting one, please submit to our event form. It’s free and helps get the word out.

Many of these events help raise money for pet charities such as a local humane society or rescue. Events typically charge a ticket fee with a portion of the proceeds going to the pet charity.

Cork Hounds has attended events, like Wine 4 Paws in Paso Robles, California. They are a great way to explore vineyards, wineries, breweries and meaderies, meet fellow wine/beer-dog loving owners and support a worthwhile charity. Just remember to be watchful of your pup, there will be many dogs at these events, and follow the pet policies of the business you are at.

Most of all, enjoy your time and if you can, send us a photo from your visit.

Upcoming Dog-Friendly April/May/June Events:

April 2: Canines, Vines & 12 FIRES Wine (Johnson City, Texas)
Help raise funds for Austin Humane Society (AHS) by stopping by 12 Fires Winery & Vineyard with your pup/s. A $30 ticket includes a glass of wine, catered lunch, live music and material on pet adoption and educational tools.

April 9: Wag through the Pines Doggie Walk/Run (Hammonton, New Jersey)
Enjoy a 1 mile walk or 3 mile walk/run through the vineyards at White Horse Winery. You can participate with your dog. Pets must be leashed at all times and NO RETRACTABLE leashes allowed. Your registration comes with a complimentary glass of wine and wine glass to take home.

April 9 - 10: Wine 4 Paws (Paso Robles, California)
This special dog-weekend event is hosted by the Woods Humane Society and Woods Humane Society-North County. There will be over 80 participating wineries, olive oil companies, and a brewery taking part.

April 10: Pet Day at Fiore Winery & Distillery (Plyesville, Maryland)
Bring the dog along for a day trip out to the vineyard. Plenty of space to roam around and picnic with your pets. Enjoy live music, food trucks and treats for your pets.

April 10: K9’s in the Vines (Haymarket, Virginia)
Bring your pup/s to The Winery at La Grange for a walk through the vines. Take in some scenic beauty as you taste some great wines. Each two-legged participant will receive a stemless, commemorative ‘K9’s in the Vines’ glass. Tickets cost $25/person.

April 16: Easter Egg Hunt for Adults, Kids & Dogs @ Karah Estate Vineyards (Cotati, CA)
Hunt for easter eggs to win prizes.Family, kids and dogs welcome. Eggs have adult, kid and dog prizes in them. Play a round of Easter trivia for more prizes! Sip wines paired with Jelly Beans to celebrate Springtime.

April 30: Wine & Wags (Livermore, California)
Livermore Valley's dog-friendly wineries host a day of fun for dogs and their owners across the region. With a ticket, you get -- entrance into participating wineries, at least 2 tastes at each winery, commemorative Livermore Valley Wine Country GoVino glass, and special event activities.

May 14: Pups & Pints (Lovettsville, VA)
One Family Brewing is hosting a day of craft beer, wine, food and music to benefit Hero Dogs, which provides service dogs for local veterans and first responders in the DC Metro area. Ticket prices range from $25-$40. $5.00 from every ticket purchased will go to Hero Dogs.

June 4: Happy Tail 5K Fun Run & Walk (Louisa, Virginia)
Join Louisa Humane Society at Fifty-Third Winery & Vineyard for a 5K dog jog. This year has an 80's theme and everyone is encouraged to dress up for an 80’s costume contest. The 1 mile “dog jog” is $30/person. All proceeds go to help homeless dogs.There will be retro 80's tunes and snacks and water waiting at the finish line. Stick around for some great raffle prizes and a food truck.

June 9: Dog Days at Linganore Winecellars (Mt Airy, Maryland)
Join Operation Paws for Homes at Linganore Winecellars for an evening of wine, music, food and dogs. Bring your furry friend and they’ll be a few adoptable ones on hand too.

June 12: K9’s in the Vines (Haymarket, Virginia)
Bring your pup/s to The Winery at La Grange for a walk through the vines. Take in some scenic beauty as you taste some great wines. Each two-legged participant will receive a stemless, commemorative ‘K9’s in the Vines’ glass. Tickets cost $25/person.

Keep an eye out for more events here.

React Bootstrap provides a convenient, simple and responsive design system, with reusable components to add functionality, style and structure to your website.   There are a couple areas where things can get a little complicated, like getting Navbar and its CollapseOnSelect property to work as intended.  And looking around the internet, it appears I'm not the only one that's encountered some difficulty.  The good news is that I recently updated Cork Hounds from React Bootstrap v0.33.1 to v1.6.4, and I was finally able to get CollapseOnSelect to work with both React Router Links and Hash Links. The solution is relatively simple, but this is one case where having a working example can really help.  Therefore, I'll start by stepping through the highlights and wrap up with an overview of a fully functional solution in codesandbox.io.  

Overview

So, what is CollapseOnSelect, and why do we need a blog dedicated to it? CollapseOnSelect is a (finicky) setting for the Navbar component that comes into play in two primary circumstances:

• When you use dropdown menus that you want to close after the user clicks on a NavDropdown.Item, or
• When you use the Navbar.Collapse component which will automatically convert your Navbar into a hamburger menu when your app is rendered on a small screen (0r resized past a threshold).  You want the menu to collapse when the user makes a selection. Note, the expand prop allows for collapsing the Navbar at various breakpoints.  

When using the Navbar component, you'll typically need to accommodate (1) internal routes, (2) anchor tags/refs, or (3) external sites.  Since most React sites with internal routes use React Router, we'll be working with Links.  For anchor refs, React Router Link provides the innerRef prop.  The refs will need to be accessible to your Navbar component, and there are lots of ways to do that.  You could also use anchor tags (or Hash Links), e.g. id="first".  React Router doesn't support anchor tags, but there is a libary called React Router Hash Link which provides that functionality.  To align with ReactJS best practices, it's probably important to say that referencing elements in the DOM directly is an anti-pattern, and you should use refs instead.  But there are some circumstances where it's not convenient to use refs, and you just need to get something working.  The third and final use case of linking to external URLs works out of the box with the Nav.Link href prop unless you need special handling.

The end goal when using the CollapseOnSelect prop is to collapse the menu as intended when the user clicks on any of these links.  In addition, you want to send the user to the precise location they expect (e.g. at the top of an anchor tag/ref, or on the appropriate internal page).  There's a little added complexity here when we throw in the fact that Navbar.Collapse changes the height of the header when the user interacts with the menu.  We'll want to solve for this so that it doesn't interfere/offset the page when navigating to an anchor tag/ref.

Since using React Router Hash Link is emblematic of 'custom' handling, I'll step through an example that demonstrates how to make Links and Hash Links work with Navbar and the CollapseOnSelect prop.

Assumptions and Getting Started

For this blog, I assume you have a reasonably good grasp of JavaScript, package management (npm or yarn), and ReactJS, to include React Router (react-router-dom), and are familiar with React Bootstrap.  I've tried to mitigate these barriers by providing a fully working example generated with create-react-app in codesandbox.io that you can use to jumpstart your project with React Bootstrap Navbar.  Our project uses the following dependencies:

{"bootstrap": "4.6.1",    "react": "16.14.0",    "react-bootstrap": "1.6.4",    "react-dom": "17.0.2",    "react-router-dom": "5.3.0",    "react-router-hash-link": "2.4.3",    "react-scripts": "4.0.0"}

Code

Let's start by looking at a condensed example of a Navbar using CollapseOnSelect with Nav.Links and NavDropdown.Items, with standard React Router Links for pages and a custom Link implementation for anchor tags (a.k.a. hash links).  

There are a couple things to notice in this example.  First, we are showing two Nav.Links and two NavDropdown.Items; each of these illustrates using a standard React Router Link and a Custom Link, which we'll elaborate on more momentarily. The React Router Links will work out of the box; no special handling / considerations are needed.  However, for a custom Hash Link, we need to pass the header height to the MyHashLink component so it knows how far to offset the scroll position.

To do this, let’s look at a class-based approach for loading the Navbar, accurately calculating the height of the header and storing the value in component state, which we’ll callthis.state.headerHeight. We’ll do this using two steps. First, we set the headerHeight when the component mounts by calling the updateHeaderHeight() method from the `componentDidMount()` lifecycle method.  Notice that in the updateHeaderHeight() method, we use this.divElement.clientHeight to get the height of the ref we set on the div container that wraps the Navbar in the example provided above.

Second, because images can load slowly, we want to update the headerHeight when our header image loads. You’ll notice that in the snippet below (repasted from the Navbar section up above for convenience) we call this.updateHeaderHeight() to do this.

Now that we have an accurate header size, we can look at our custom MyHashLink component.  The functional component shown below receives the properties associated with the Nav.Link and NavDropdown.Item, to include the data-height, to, and other important properties.  

In our custom example, we want to scroll to an anchor tag.  We will use the React Router Hash Link library to accomplish this.  This library exports two components:  HashLink and NavHashLink.  We will use NavHashLink because it correctly applies the active className out of the box when the link is clicked.  In order to trigger the Navbar to collapse when a NavHashLink is clicked, we set its onClick property: onClick={props.onClick}.  

Next, we use the scroll property to pass the element to our scrollWithOffset function to customize the scrolling behavior.  Here,  we use the incoming props["data-height"] for the yOffset when scrolling to the selected anchor tag.

That's all the special handling that we need to do for collapseOnSelect to work properly with React Router Links and a custom Hash Link implementation.

Working Example

Let's put all this together.  There's nothing quite like having a fully working example to illustrate how everything comes together.  This project was created in codesandbox.io using create-react-app (CRA).  The entry point for this app is the src/index.js file where we introduce the Header class described above, and also setup React Router .  

The base route "/" points to the App component, and there are some other example routes pointing to a PageComponent.   Inside the App component, we introduce the HashComponent to illustrate the use of multiple anchor tags throughout a page.   The Header and MyHashLink components work together to provide navigation. We map React Router Links to the Routes specified in index.js which point to a PageComponent while our anchor tags point to a HashComponent.

When clicking on menu items, the menu will collapse as intended, and navigate to the appropriate anchor or page.  Feel free to explore this and make use of it as you see fit.

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this blog helpful.  Leave a comment if you found this useful or need any assistance!

When we started Cork Hounds back in 2016, we focused on cataloguing dog-friendly vineyards/wineries/meaderies. With just two of us working to build Cork Hounds, we needed to keep the project within reason -- this is a passion project after all -- we both have day jobs. We figured it would only be a few years before we’d expand our data set to include breweries. However, we underestimated the time and effort it would take to gather all the wine data and  build a site/app.

Just this year we’ve finally reached a point where we are able to expand our scope to include the abundant amount of dog-friendly breweries popping up all over the country. Good thing because in 2020, there were 8,764 craft breweries in the U.S., according to data collected by the Brewers Association.

We may be a little late to the party, but we are excited to be here and share with you our dog-friendly brewery experiences. The pandemic has prevented us from traveling too far from our home base of Northern Virginia, but since we’ve yet to visit a brewery in our own backyard, we figured this area would make a perfect launching point for our first all-brewery blog. Cheers!

Table of Contents
Breweries To Visit
Another Brewery To Try

Breweries To Visit

Fair Winds Brewing Company

7000 Newington RoadSuites K & L
Lorton, VA 22079
703-372-2001
Dog-friendly: outside (limited), on the patio, inside the tasting room

Located just off of 1-95 in Newington, Fair Winds Brewing Company sits in a small red brick industrial strip mall. It has a sizable outdoor patio area and large tasting room. They have one of those glass garage doors -- open during our visit -- a perfect warm fall day. We met quite a few dogs at Fair Winds -- a rescue Greyhound named LuLu,, a Labradoodle named Tally, a hound mix named Reggie, and a Lab mix named Roy. Everyone was having a great time.

Fair Winds doesn’t offer flights, instead you can order 5 oz. pours for $4 or just ask the bartender for a taste and sample till you find the right brew for you. Some of their unique beers include a sour ale called Fruit Punch Tart, and a cherry porter called Red Wine Blackened Seas.

We each grabbed a pint and combined it with some BBQ from a local vendor that had set up inside the tasting room.

Our favorites: High Barbary (amber lager) and Homeport Stout

G34.3 Brewing Company

8532 Terminal Road Suites L,M,N
Lorton, VA 22079
Dog-friendly: inside the tasting room (no outside area or patio space)

A visit to G34.3 will likely bring back memories of drinking in your buddy’s garage as this brewery is located in a no frills industrial complex just off of I-95. What it lacks in ambiance it makes up for in its tasty mix of ales, stouts, IPAs and lagers. We ordered two flights of 4 (5 oz. each) and got to try all their brews. If you’re a coffee lover, be sure to sample the Oceanus Procellarum, a dark coffee stout. If you love a good German Hefeweizen, give the NGC 4993 a try. The owners put a lot of thought and effort into their Marzen, a malty and full-bodied Oktoberfestbier. It’s also good. And they have Scottish and Irish ales on the menu as well. While we visited a corgi named Joe was sitting on the tasting room’s polished cement floor as its owner sipped a beer. G34.3 doesn’t offer outdoor space, so this is where you’ll hang out with your pup when you visit.

If you are curious about where the name G34.3 originated from, it turns out that “G34.3 is the largest deep space cosmic cloud of ethanol yet discovered, and it contains enough ethanol to supply 300,000 pints of beer to every person, every single day, for the next billion years,” according to the brewery’s website.

Our favorites: Oceanus Procellarum (coffee stout), NGC 4993 (German Hefeweizen), Lenticular Lager 1553 (Marzen)

Another Brewery To Try

Water's End Brewery in Lake Ridge

12425 Dillingham Square
Lake Ridge, VA
571-285-1997
Dog-friendly: outside (limited), on the patio, inside the tasting room (on Sundays)

This brewery offers Bark Sunday -- dogs welcome inside the tasting room. They have two locations, Lake Ridge and Potomac Mills. Their list of brews include, “juicy IPAs,” a pineapple orange sour and a cherry sour, and an American wheat ale with lime.

Most developers that work with AWS Cognito + Amplify take advantage of the built-in urlListener within Amplify which automatically processes a Cognito web response containing an authorization code grant. However, if you’re building a mobile JavaScript application and want to offer Social Sign-On, you may need to process the code grant yourself if Deep Links aren’t an option for handling your redirect. We’re doing a big overhaul on the Corkhounds.com mobile app, and we were recently faced with this situation. It’s not intuitive how to programmatically process an authorization code grant, and it takes a lot of digging around online to figure it out. If you are curious how this works, this post is for you.

Assumptions and Overview

We assume you are already using AWS Cognito and Amplify and that you already have a Cognito User Pool. Getting up and running with Cognito and Amplify is a topic all on its own. We also assume you are using the authorization code grant response type, and that you are successfully using Amplify’s Auth.federatedSignIn() method with Facebook, Google, or Apple Social Sign On or the Hosted UI. You should be receiving a Cognito web response with an authorization code grant that looks similar to:

We will start by showing you how to parse this web response using the Ampify Authentication module, and walk through one way of creating a Cognito User Session, and finally how to get Amplify to pick up / recognize that session and showing that user as currently authenticated.

Processing the Code Grant

When you search the web for ways to parse the Cognito web response, you will undoubtedly find lots of references to the amazon-cognito-auth-js package and the parseCognitoWebResponse() method.  However, the original amazon-cognito-auth-js package has been archived by Amazon, and Amplify's Authentication module took over.  There is no parseCognitoWebResponse() in the Amplify codebase, so it would seem this feature is no longer supported.

Luckily, there is an example for processing the Cognito web response containing the authorization code grant to retrieve the access, id and refresh tokens. Amplify's Auth._oAuthHandler.handleAuthResponse() parses and submits the code grant against the oauth2/token endpoint to retrieve the tokens.   You can review the code in Amplify's github repo to see how it works. Unfortunately, the _oAuthHandler function is marked private in TypeScript.   If you're not using TypeScript, you can use this function, but that's dangerous given that the development team could make changes in a future release.  I have submitted a feature request to have this function made public, but it hasn't been answered as of yet.

I'll show you how it works, but proceed at your own risk. First we will need to install the amazon-cognito-identity-js package, and its dependency, the aws-sdk:

npm install aws-sdk amazon-cognito-identity-js

Let’s step through the code sample below. I’ve nested comments throughout this sample to explain what we’re doing in each step. You should already have imported both Amplify and the Auth module. And for simplicity, we’ll import all the modules from the amazon-cognito-identity-js package. Since you already have Amplify and Auth configured (based on our assumptions above), we can now use the Auth._oAuthHandler.handleAuthResponse() method to process the cognito web response url. We'll then parse the response to create an CognitoAccessToken, CognitoIdToken and CognitoRefreshToken. Using these tokens, we can then create a CognitoUserSession.

At this point, we have a Cognito user session, but it is not recognized by Amplify yet.  If you were to run the Auth.currentAuthenticatedUser() method now, you would find that there is no authenticated user.   The principal reason for this seems to be because the session/tokens aren't stored in a place where Amplify picks them up. You can read more about this in Amplify's GitHub issue #6555.  

Creating the Amplify Authenticated User Session

Now that we have a Cognito User Session, we need to tell Amplify about it.  The easiest way I found to do this is documented on Amazon Cognito's web documentation, and I'll break it down here. Like before, I’ve nested comments throughout this sample to explain what we’re doing in each step.

Essentially the steps are to create a CognitoUserPool object, and then we can use that with the user's username contained in the accessToken to instantiate a CognitoUser.  With the CognitoUser object in hand, we can call the setSignInUserSession() method using the CognitoUserSession we created earlier to finish creating the Amplify user session.  

Now, Amplify will return the authenticated user correctly.  If you're like me, you would think there should be an easier way to achieve this result – given that Amplify/Auth are already configured, and you have the CognitoUserSession separately – and there might be.  But I haven't found it yet.

Putting it all together

Now we will stitch all the code together for simplicity.

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this blog useful for turning an authorization code grant into an Amplify authenticated user.  Feel free to reach out with any questions.

It’s been well over a year since Cork Hounds hit the road in search of new vineyards/breweries to explore and share with you. The pandemic put a halt to our trips in 2020 -- Folly Beach, South Carolina; Livermore, California -- canceled because of COVID-19. But now, with the vaccine in wide-spread use and places opening back up to full capacity, we are venturing out once again in search of great wine/beer with our pups in tow.

Virginia’s Northern Neck, a strip of land separated by the Potomac and Rappanatock rivers, is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the DC-metro area. About a 2-3 hour ride (depending on your location) and you will find yourself in the country surrounded by farmland. This sparsely populated area feels underdeveloped -- in a good way.

We used VBRO to find/book a vacation rental. What we came for was the “rivah”, as the locals call it. Our home away from home for the week provided us with a magnificent view of the Potomac. Each morning we were treated to an amazing sunrise over the water.

We visited 3 vineyards and a brewery during our trip. This was in fact our first official stop at a brewery -- we have started to expand the focus of Cork Hounds to include these dog-welcoming watering holes as well!

Table of Contents
Vineyards/Breweries to Visit
Weekend Trip Accommodations
Local Sites

Vineyards/Breweries to Visit

The Dog and Oyster Vineyard

170 White Fences Dr
Irvington, VA 22480
804-438-9463
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio, inside the tasting room

Photos of The Dog and Oyster Vineyard. Photos by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

Wine and oysters, a match made in heaven. At the Dog and Oyster Vineyard they’ve developed their wines to pair with succulent oysters pulled from the nearby Rappahannock River. The oysters are served raw, grilled or fried. They are plump and tasty. Be sure to visit on the weekend if you want oysters -- they don’t offer them on weekdays. They have four wines for tasting -- two whites, a rose and a red. We think the oysters pair best with their Oyster White blend and Pearl (Vidal Blanc). The gravel patio area provides a perfect spot for you to sip and slurp, with your pup nearby. They provide water bowls and there is some space around the vineyard to walk your dog. And, they have two kissing booths for photos, one for humans, and one for dogs (and their humans)!

Our favorites: Oyster White blend and Pearl (Vidal Blanc)

Now that we have a firm grip on dog-friendly wineries and vineyards in the U.S., it seemed only logical to expand into breweries. It’s going to take us some time to track them all down and collect their data, but we are determined, so be on the lookout.

Callao Brewing Company

129 Northumberland Hwy Box 506
Callao, VA 22435
804-529-1042
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio, inside the tasting room

Photos of Callao Brewing Company. Photos by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

The town of Callao, Virginia is a blink and you’ll miss it kind of place. But don’t blink, because you’ll miss out on a gem of a brewery. Callao Brewing Company offers 16 craft beers and a non-alcoholic root beer -- all on tap. The tasting room is big and airy. They have some old school arcade games (Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter to name two) off to one side and ample seating in front of the large bar. We were greeted by one of the owners, Susan and her dog Teddy. She and her husband opened the brewery a few years back. They offer beers by the pint or you can get a flight of four. We ordered flights and enjoyed absolutely every brew we tried. They don’t sell food except for chips and dip; however, you can purchase something to eat from the food truck next door and bring it inside or sit on one of the picnic tables out front. We opted for the BBQ sandwiches and a place inside. Susan brought our dogs a nice refreshing water bowl and she said she typically has treats on hand for her furry visitors.
Our favorites: Heathsville Honey Ale, Harryhogan Hefenweizen and Brew Wayne (Black IPA)

The Hague Winery

8268 Cople Hwy
Hague, VA 22469
804-472-5283
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio, inside the tasting room

Photos of The Hague Winery. Photos by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

The Hague Winery’s covered patio is an ideal place to drink wine and munch on meats and cheeses. The patio is large and airy. The views of the vines and surrounding countryside add to the ambiance. The patio is conveniently attached to the winery’s tasting room -- a barn painted in a cheery blue shade. There’s a bar set up on the patio so you don’t even have to go into the tasting room -- but you should pop in. There’s goodies for purchase and wine lover gifts all along the back wall. Hague has a limited selection of whites and reds on the menu. When we stopped by they had two chardonels -- a 2018 and 2019. But our favorite wine was the steel barrel Chardonnay -- crisp and refreshing on a bright sunny May day. The pups chilled on the cool pavement patio while we sipped and ate.
Our favorites: Chardonnay

General’s Ridge Vineyard

1618 Weldons Dr
Hague, VA 22469
804-472-3172
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio, inside the tasting room

Photos of General's Ridge Vineyard. Photos by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

General’s Ridge Vineyard’s owner is a retired 2-star Marine Corps general --- thus the name. Drive through the grapevines past the 1800s farmhouse to the Somewhere in Time tasting room -- a large one level space with ample indoor seating. They grow their own grapes at General’s Ridge; in fact, they grow so much that they ship out most of it for sale to other wineries. They offer 8 whites and 6 red wines for tasting. We decided on a white tasting (6 total) -- it included one rose. The GRV White is the perfect summer white table wine. Smooth with tropical fruit notes -- just slightly sweet. We also enjoyed the Sparkling Semper Fi and Petit Manseng. We walked out with 4 bottles.
Our favorites: GRV White, Viognier, Petit Manseng and Sparkling Semper Fi.

Additional Brewery to Visit

Montross Brewery & Beer Garden

15381 Kings Hwy
Montross, VA 22520
804-729-9991
Apparently, Montross is famous for Ginger Ale. The village was once home to its own bottling company. In addition to offering 18 small-batch beers, Montross Brewery & Beer Garden makes their own “old fashioned ginger ale.” It’s made with cane sugar, real lemons, and fresh ginger.
Dog-friendly: outside, on the patio/beer garden, inside the tasting room

Weekend Trip Accommodations

Search BringFido and/or VBRO to find dog-friendly rentals, hotels, inns and B&Bs at a location that fits your travel plans:
Search Bring Fido
Search VBRO

Hope and Glory Inn

This charming inn was originally a school house. It is owned and operated by the Dog & Oyster Vineyard.

Westmoreland State Park

This state park offers cabins and lodging for a week stay during the summer months and weekends at other times of the year.

Local Sites

If you have additional time to explore Virginia’s Northern Neck, I would suggest visiting the following:

Westmoreland State Park

Walking trails, beaches, fishing and boating opportunities await you at this state park. It’s located six miles northwest of Montross, just off Route 3. See their pet policy.

Cover photo of the sunrise over the Potomac River along Virginia's Northern Neck. Photo by Jeremy Glesner, All Rights Reserved

Introduction

We're using AWS Amplify with AWS Cognito and the Hosted UI to handle Authentication for Cork Hounds. To provide users with the ability to delete their own accounts (along with any/all data that we manage on their behalf), we must interface with Cognito and the Hosted UI. Providing the ability for users to manage their data continues to rise in importance to maintain compliance with new data privacy/ownership laws, including "The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA)" and "The European Union General Data Protection Regulation of 2016 (GDPR)".

Once a user deletes their account, it is important to sign them out globally. However, at the time of this writing, there is an issue that interferes with signout of the Hosted UI when using just Amplify by itself. I'll provide a work around that's supported by AWS using the new aws-sdk-js-v3 library. Let's dive in!

Overview

The AWS Amplify Auth.currentAuthenticatedUser returns a CognitoUser with a deleteUser method, which allows you to do the following:

However, Auth.signOut() doesn't sign the user out of the Hosted UI after using the deleteUser method.This issue is highlighted in ticket 3187 on the aws-amplify github repo. This is not fixed as of AWS Amplify version 3.3.13. While that ticket provides an unsupported workaround, I wanted a solution that would work into the future.

Using the AWS JS SDK seemed to make the most sense. On the GitHub readme for Amplify 3.x.x, it says they've removed the AWS SDK version 2.x in favor of version 3. The AWS JS SDK Version 3 is designed to be modular, to help with reducing package sizes / tree shaking. You can see a list of the modules on AWS' JavaScript SDK documentation.

Assumptions & Getting Started

I am going to assume you are already using AWS Amplify, AWS Cognito and the Hosted UI, and that you are looking for a way to (1) let users delete their own Cognito accounts, and then (2) sign the user out globally. You should be using a 3.x version of AWS Amplify.

To get started, you'll want to install the client-cognito-identity-provider from the aws js sdk v3:

npm i @aws-sdk/client-cognito-identity-provider --save

I believe you'll also need to enable the aws.cognito.signin.user.admin OAuth scope. This can be found via the AWS console for Cognito under User Pools > App Integration > App Client Settings > Allowed OAuth Scopes. According to the Cognito App Client Settings:

The aws.cognito.signin.user.admin scope grants access to Amazon Cognito User Pool API operations that require access tokens, such as UpdateUserAttributes and VerifyUserAttribute.

Code

We want to leverage the CognitoIdentityProvider to perform the deleteUser function. By deleting the user outside of Amplify, it allows the Auth.signOut() function to operate as intended. So lets import the necessary components:

And by the way, if you wanted to leverage other properties/functions from the client-cognito-identity-provider library, you could simply import everything:

import * as AWS from '@aws-sdk/client-cognito-identity-provider';

When Auth.signOut({ global: true}) is called, it will trigger a signout from the Hosted UI, and return the user to your signout URL. As noted in the AWS Amplify documentation for Signup, Signin, and Signout:

By doing this, you are revoking all the auth tokens (id token, access token and refresh token) which means the user is signed out from all the devices Note: although the tokens are revoked, the AWS credentials will remain valid until they expire (which by default is 1 hour).

Using Modularization to Reduce Bundle Sizes

One of AWS' goals in creating the JS SDK v3 was to make it more modular to help reduce bundle sizes. To achieve this, AWS decomposed the JavaScript SDK core into multiple packages, making it easier to import just the modules you need. After using the code I wrote in the section above, I realized that by importing the entire CognitoIdentityProvider, the size of my bundle was much larger than it needed to be.

Lets take advantage of this new modularization. Instead of importing CognitoIdentityProvider, we're going to import the CognitoIdentityProviderClient and the DeleteUserCommand separately.
Next, we'll update our code from above to use these new objects.

Now, the production bundle for my use of the CognitoIdentityProvider is within reason:

And that's all there is to it.

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this helpful/useful. Would love your feedback!

Do you have an upcoming event that you’d like to promote to our dog-wine loving community? We’d love to help you and it’s FREE! Here’s how to submit your event information:

1. Locate our Events section on the Cork Hounds website.
2. Create a login -- you can use Google or Facebook to login
3. Fill out the Event details

4. Submit your event!

Cork Hounds will follow up with you by email and we’ll work to get the event posted within 48 hours.

It’s been a long road these past 6 months for vineyards and wineries in the United States. Forced to shut their doors from March - May due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, most are now open again to the public but operating under strict guidelines put forth by state and local authorities. Calling these times challenging would be an understatement for most of these operations, but everyone is doing their best to adapt to the times. But some wineries are getting really creative at finding ways to attract customers back to their locations.

During the first few months of reopening (April, May, June), many vineyards were not allowing guests into the tasting room or offering tastings -- many were constrained to outdoor bottle sales only. We observed a number of winery owners offering drive through pickup, wine shipments, and even personal deliveries to maintain a stream of income.

But now, wineries have reopened their tasting rooms and are open to the public -- though you’ll find some significant changes, such as fewer tables inside and/or plastic shields placed between tables or on bars. Some limit the amount of people allowed inside at any given time and most require face masks except for when tasting the wine. We’ve also noticed some vineyards and wineries are only taking reservations -- no walk-ins. It’s a good idea to call ahead or check websites before you go -- don’t find yourself being turned away after a long drive!

Operating under these constraints, it has not been easy for wineries to draw the same patronage they did pre-pandemic. Many wineries operating in the U.S. depend on direct food and bottle sales, and/or events (weddings, festivals, etc) to remain profitable. We especially love attending the dog-centric events! However, given that crowds are a no-no during this unprecedented time, wineries must innovate to stay in business. And, as someone once said, "necessity is the mother of invention."

The different approaches that wineries are taking depends heavily on their business model. Most wineries have on-site vineyards with acres of land offering plenty of space outdoors for visitors -- ideal for those looking to maintain social distancing. However, some wineries only maintain cozy tasting rooms (storefronts) that are either located apart from the vineyard, or they don't have a vineyard and buy all their grapes from growers. Leveraging their individual characteristics and some genius, here are some examples of how wineries are getting creative:

Running Hare Vineyard in Maryland has opened a drive-in movie theater on their land. Each weekend, they offer tickets to see modern classics like Forrest Gump and Dirty Dancing. The events are very popular and usually sell out. In addition to movies, they show live sports games in their outdoor Biergarten.

White Horse Winery in New Jersey recently held a ‘Friends’ (TV show) trivia night. The reservation only event was limited to groups of six. It sold out.

Barrel Oak Winery in Virginia, is offering “The Return to BOW” a reservation only experience that costs $295 per couple (which you can take home in wine or beer), a front row parking spot and an isolated private table with “thoughtful and attentive service” from staff maintaining “absolute social distancing and sanitation best practices.”

Many wineries like Rosedale Farms & Vineyards in Connecticut are pushing outdoor live musical acts/groups to entice visitors. Sit outside at a picnic table and listen to the sounds of local musicians as you sip wine... always nice.

The Winery at La Grange in Virginia, is going ahead with their annual K9s In The Vines dog walk this fall. They permit you to walk up to two dogs along the trail. There will be tasting stations set up along the way. A portion of ticket sales goes to Canines-N-Kids Foundation.

These are just a sample of the inventive ways wineries are adapting to bring customers back to their businesses. If you know of some more examples, we’d love to hear about them and share what we learn with the Cork Hounds community.

Cover photo of Folded Hills- Winery Farmstead Ranch tasting bar and staff in Gaviota, California. Photo by Folded Hills, All Rights Reserved.

When it comes to dog-friendliness, California dominates. In a recent review of our data, Cork Hounds ranked the top 25 most dog-friendly winery counties nationwide. San Luis Obispo came in at number one, followed by Napa, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, San Diego and San Joaquin counties. Yamhill county in Oregon ranked seventh and New York’s Yates, Seneca and Schuyler counties took spots 13, 14 and 15. Virginia’s Albermale and Loudoun counties came in at 20 and 21.

For this review, Cork Hounds pulled data only on vineyards and wineries that we classify as fully dog-friendly -- allowing dogs outside, on the patio/porch and inside the tasting room.

The top 5 counties in California represent areas with high concentrations of vineyards -- lending to the likelihood they will have more dog-friendly vineyards then other, less wine-dense counties.

San Luis Obispo county, which includes the Paso Robles wine-growing region, is home to more than 250 wineries, according to SLO CAL, the non-profit countywide destination marketing and management organization for San Luis Obispo County. In comparison, the entire state of Virginia has approximately 300 wineries, according to its tourism board.

California is by far the largest wine-producing state in the nation -- representing 84% of production, reports the World Population Review website. Washington is second with 5% production. Washington’s Walla Walla county ranked 25th on our list.

Cover photo of dogs visiting Mayo Family Winery's tasting room in Sonoma County. Photo by Shannon Doty, All Rights Reserved.

For the past three summers, my girlfriends and I have enjoyed a weekend trip to the mountains of southern Virginia to a rustic retreat known as Mountain Lake Lodge. The place is very dog-friendly and my dachshund Greta always makes the journey with us. It’s about a 4.5-5 hour drive (depending on traffic) from the Washington, DC area. The I-81 corridor is a very scenic route, where you’ll enjoy mountain vistas of the Shenandoah. There are also quite a few vineyards along the way so we always make it a point to stop and try one (or two, time permitting). Some are closer to the interstate then others, so do budget extra time to get to them. Cork Hounds suggests stopping at Cave Ridge Vineyard, Rickbridge Vineyard, Barren Ridge Vineyards, and Virginia Mountain Vineyards with your pup/s.

Table of Contents:
Vineyards to Visit
Weekend Trip Accommodations
Local Sites
Additional Vineyard to Visit

Vineyards to Visit

Cave Ridge Vineyard

1476 Conicville Rd
Mt Jackson, VA 22842
540-477-2585
Dog-friendly: outside, on the porch/patio, and inside the tasting room

Photo of the wines at Cave Ridge Vineyard. The fossil the owner found in his field can be seen in the lower right image. Photo by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

Cave Ridge’s timber sided tasting room has a lovely view overlooking the Blue Ridge mountains. A large covered pavilion sits just off to the side -- a perfect spot in the summer to drink wine and listen to local musicians. There’s ample lawn space out front to walk the dog and even take them for a stroll along the grape vines. The patio out front seems to be the preferred area for sitting and sipping. They have heaters setup for cooler months and umbrellas during warm summer days. If you’d rather sit indoors with your pup, head to their upstairs area with tables and chairs. They also have an upper level deck that would also make a good spot for hanging out.

Our tasting included a mix of whites and reds. Some of the wines feature a nautilus fossil on the label. The story goes, the vineyard owner found the fossil on the property will tilling the soil in preparation for planting the vines. Another label features the painting of a shaking yellow Labrador -- Summer Splash. If you’re lucky, they’ll include some sparkling wines to sample (they are not on the official tasting menu). The Fille Des Etoiles and Raspberry Noir are both very tasty! By the time we left the vineyard, the traffic had cleared and we were on our way.

Our favorite wines: Fille Des Etoiles "Daughter of the Stars," Summer Splash, Fossil Hill Reserve, Traminette

Rockbridge Vineyard

35 Hillview Ln
Raphine, VA 24472
540-377-6204
Dog-friendly: outdoors, on the porch/patio, inside the tasting room

Photo of the vines growing at Rockbridge Vineyards. Photo by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

Located less than 2 miles off of I-81, Rockbridge is an ideal place to stop in for a tasting and not loose too much time on your journey north/south. The modern red barn tasting room is bright and spacious, featuring lovely vistas of the surrounding vines and mountains. If the weather is pleasent, grab your wine and head over to their covered patio area featuring a DIY wine bottle chandelier. Dogs are welcome inside the tasting room, outdoors and on the patio.

Our favorites: Traminette, Chardonnay and Meritage
Award winning wines: Viognier, Dechiel Chardonnay

Barren Ridge Vineyards

984 Barren Ridge Road
Fishersville, VA 22939
540-248-3300
Dog-friendly: outdoors, on the porch/patio, inside the tasting room

Photo of the tasting room at Barren Ridge Vineyards. Photo by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

If you’re into rustic/barn chic, Barren Ridge will surely please. It’s a former apple orchard that now grows a variety of grapes. The picking barn plays host to tastings and is a comfortable place to sip and sample wine. Need a little cheese and crackers to wash down your wine? Purchase some tasty snacks. We particularly liked the pub cheese. Note, if there is an event going on the day of your visit, they move tastings to a small shed on the property — not glamorous and not very appealing. Personally, I’d make sure to visit on a non-event day or attend the event so you can fully enjoy the property. Dogs are allowed in the tasting room, on the grounds and the patio.

Our favorites: Harmony (white blend)
Award winning wines: Harmony, Viognier, Christof (white dessert wine)

Virginia Mountain Vineyards

4204 Old Fincastle Rd
Fincastle, VA 24090
540-473-2979
Dog-friendly: outdoors and on the porch/patio

Photo of wines at Virginia Mountain Vineyards. Photo by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

This vineyard has been growing grapes since the 1990s and offers 13 different wines for tasting. The tasting room is small with only one bar, but it’s well worth the wait to try their unique wines — be sure to sample their signature white, Acacia Gold. When you’re done tasting, grab a glass (or bottle) and sit out on the covered patio (or find one of the benches around the grounds) and enjoy some lovely views of the vineyards and mountains. Dogs are allowed on the grounds and patio.

Our favorites: Acacia Gold
Award winning wines: Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Trinity (blend)

Weekend Trip Accommodations

Search BringFido and/or Homeaway to find dog-friendly hotels, inns and B&Bs at a location that fits your travel plans:
Search Bring Fido
Search Homeaway

Where we stayed:

Photo of Mountain Lake Lodge. Photo by Peggy Mihelich, All Rights Reserved

Mountain Lake Lodge - mostly known as the set location for the 80s movie Dirty Dancing, this mountain retreat is more than a place to dance in the footsteps of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. It boasts fine dining, hiking trails, a game room (pool tables, ping pong, air hockey) and outdoor adventure center. Do as much or as little as you want. Be sure to spend time in the bar, where they serve up specialty cocktails and spin tales of old (the hotel dates back to the 1800s). And yes, learn all about the making of the movie that made sure “nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

Local sites:

If you have additional time to explore the I-81 corridor, I would suggest visiting the following:

Natural Bridge

This 215-foot tall limestone gorge, sits within Virginia’s newest state park, Natural Bridge State Park. There is more to see then just the bridge, so take your dog and explore one of the many trails.

Roanoke

This is southern Virginia’s biggest city. It’s history is mostly associated with the railroads and it was a major stop for 3 lines, most notably the Norfolk & Western. Tour the historic downtown for a glimpse of the past and check out the following local places: Roanoke Star & Mill Mountain Park, Dog Mouth Fountain and Black Dog Salvage.

Blacksburg

This is college town, USA. Home of Virginia Tech’s (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) 30,000+ students and faculty, this sprawling campus is worth a tour, even if it’s just a drive-by one.

Additional Vineyard to Visit:

Peaks of Otter Winery

2122 Sheep Creek Rd
Bedford, VA 24523
540-586-3707
Dog-friendly: outdoors, on the porch/patio, inside the tasting room

Peaks of Otter is a fruit orchard that specializes in wine made from apples, grapes, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, chili peppers, cherries, elderberries and more. Dogs are welcome inside the tasting room, outdoors and on the patio.

Cover Photo is of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Photo by Mark Schneider / CC BY 2.0. Photo brightness was increased.