Benziger Family Winery
Glen Ellen, CA
1883 London Ranch Rd, 95442
10:00 AM–4:30 PM
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon
Reservations Required
Private · Nigel Drives · Dogs Welcome
Sonoma Valley Dog Friendly Wine Tours
Sonoma Valley is relaxed and friendly to dogs, but it's spread out. Kenwood to the Plaza to Carneros is a lot of driving, parking and guessing which rooms will take your dog.
We drive over the hill, book rooms we've vetted for dogs in Sonoma, Glen Ellen and Kenwood, and pace the day around your dog. No backtracking, and nobody skips a pour.
A dog's day in Sonoma Valley
Sonoma is arguably the easiest valley in California to spend a day in with a dog. The historic Sonoma Plaza is grass-in-the-middle, tree-lined on all sides, and ringed with restaurants that put water bowls out at the door. Walk your dog once around the Plaza and you'll pass a dozen other pups doing the same thing. Up-valley in Glen Ellen and Kenwood the pace slows further — estates back up against Sugarloaf Ridge and Jack London State Park, so there's real countryside within a few steps of the tasting-room door. Between stops we drive Highway 12, which is scenic without being twisty, so even car-sensitive dogs generally handle it well. The whole day feels less like a wine tour and more like a long weekend afternoon with a wine glass in one hand and a leash in the other.
Sample Sonoma Valley itinerary — 6 hours with your dog
A realistic 6-hour flow for two adults and one medium dog, starting from a Napa hotel. Times shift with your reservations and your dog's mood, and we're happy to lean either into plaza-walking or into rural-estate lawns depending on your pup's personality.
10:00 am
Pickup in Napa
Vehicle already cool, water bowls out, clean blanket down on the seat next to you. We take the scenic route over the hill on Highway 12, which is one of the prettiest 40-minute drives in wine country and a nice way to ease your dog into the day.
10:45 am
First stop — Kenwood or Glen Ellen estate
We start up-valley in Kenwood or Glen Ellen, where the estates open onto pastoral vineyards and oak-studded hills. Seated outdoor tasting, one flight, and space for your dog to sprawl on the grass.
12:15 pm
Lunch on the Sonoma Plaza
Twenty-minute drive south into the town of Sonoma. Lunch on a dog-welcoming patio just off the historic Plaza — this is the anchor of the day. You eat and drink water, your dog naps in the shade or people-watches from the sidewalk.
2:00 pm
Second stop — a Plaza-adjacent tasting room
Short walk (or two-block drive) to a downtown tasting room. Sonoma's Plaza is ringed with small-batch rooms where a leashed dog fits right in — quiet, unhurried, and usually with a water bowl already on the floor.
3:00 pm
Third stop — Carneros on the way back
Optional final pour at a Carneros estate on the way back to Napa. The rolling southern hills catch the golden-hour light beautifully, and it's a low-key way to close the day. Otherwise we skip it and head straight back to your hotel.
A few Sonoma Valley favorites
Bartholomew Estate Winery
Set in a 375-acre nature preserve just outside the town of Sonoma, Bartholomew is more park than winery — miles of dog-friendly hiking trails through oaks and vineyards, and a tasting room that treats a dog on a leash as completely normal. Rare in wine country. We confirm the current pet policy with them before every visit.
Winery guide →Landmark Vineyards
A Kenwood estate at the foot of Sugarloaf Ridge with big lawns, bocce courts, and picnic tables shaded by wisteria. Dogs on leashes fit naturally into the setting and staff tend to be genuinely welcoming rather than merely tolerant. We confirm the current pet policy with them before every visit.
Winery guide →Benziger Family Winery
A biodynamic Glen Ellen estate famous for its tractor-drawn vineyard tour and unhurried, family-first atmosphere. The tasting garden and grounds tend to welcome leashed dogs, and the rural setting is a nice antidote to a busy Plaza afternoon. We confirm the current pet policy with them before every visit.
Winery guide →Dog-friendly wineries we visit in Sonoma Valley
Kunde Family Winery
Kenwood, CA
9825 Sonoma Hwy, 95452
10:30 AM–5:00 PM
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay
Walk-ins / Reservations
Gundlach Bundschu
Sonoma, CA
2000 Denmark St, 95476
11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir
Reservations Required
How a Sonoma Valley tour works
Nigel drives. You taste.
We pick you and your dog up, so nobody has to be the designated driver. Sonoma Valley is roughly 35–45 minutes from our Napa base.
We book every tasting
We confirm each reservation ahead, time the day to your pace, and only book wineries that welcome dogs.
Dogs come first
Water, treats, shade breaks and patios where dogs can settle. The water and treats are on board.
Pickup and drop-off anywhere in Napa and Sonoma is included. Pickups outside the Napa and Sonoma area are quoted by hand. One group a day.
From $450 for 4.5 hours · 2 wineries, or from $600 for 6 hours · 3 wineries. Final price depends on your group size. Every tour is quoted personally. How pricing works →
Sonoma Valley tour FAQs
Are dogs allowed at wineries in Sonoma Valley?
Very much so — Sonoma Valley's family-run, unpretentious estates are famously relaxed about dogs, with lawns and patios where your pup is a welcome guest. We book only the rooms that truly welcome dogs, and Sonoma has more of them per square mile than almost anywhere else in wine country.
How long is the drive from Napa to Sonoma Valley?
Depending on the exact towns, Sonoma Valley is about 35–45 minutes from our Napa base — over the hill via Highway 12 or south through Carneros. We handle the drive over the hill so you can settle in and enjoy the ride, which is one of the prettier back-road stretches in the region.
Can you build a custom Sonoma Valley itinerary around my dog?
Yes. Sonoma Valley spreads out across Sonoma, Glen Ellen, and Kenwood, so we plan an unhurried route with room for walks, shade, and water breaks tailored to your dog. If your dog loves people, we lean into the plaza-side rooms; if your dog prefers quiet, we point the day at the rural Glen Ellen and Kenwood estates.
How is Sonoma different from Napa for a dog?
Sonoma is looser about almost everything. Estates are smaller and more family-run, tasting fees are lower, and the culture around dogs is closer to "of course they can come" than "I allow it." The Sonoma Plaza itself is one of the most dog-populated town squares in California — you'll see more pups than tourists on most weekend mornings.
How does pickup and drop-off work for a Sonoma Valley tour?
Pickup and drop-off in Napa and Sonoma are included; pickups further out are quoted by hand. Send an inquiry and we’ll walk you through a Sonoma Valley day.
Bring your pup to Sonoma Valley
We book the wineries, Nigel drives, and we bring the water bowl. Tell us your date and your ideal day in Sonoma Valley.