Balletto Vineyards & Winery sits on 600 acres in the Russian River Valley near Santa Rosa, and the good news is they’re happy to have dogs along on a tasting visit. The Balletto family has been growing grapes here for generations, and they’re selective about what makes it into their own bottles—only 10% of their harvest, chosen from different clones and soil types across the property. The rest gets sold to other wineries, which tells you something about their standards.

What makes a visit here different from a lot of other Sonoma wineries is the sheer space. You’re not squeezed into a tasting room; there’s actual room to move around with your dog on a leash, and the vineyard views from the designated tasting areas are legitimately nice. In July 2010, they won the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Sweepstakes Award, so the wines themselves have real recognition beyond just local reputation.

Dogs need to be well-behaved and stay on leash in the tasting areas, which makes sense given the scale of the operation and other guests around. The estate setting means you get a different experience than you would at a downtown tasting room—there’s actual agriculture happening around you, and depending on the season, you might see vineyard work in progress. It’s the kind of place where an afternoon with your dog doesn’t feel rushed or cramped.

The 600-acre property gives you a sense of what a working wine estate actually looks like, not just a marketing version of one. Bring a friend, bring water for your dog, and plan to spend a few hours rather than rushing through. The Russian River Valley location also puts you close to other things worth exploring in Sonoma County if you’re making a day of it.