Joyce Wine Company sits in the heart of Carmel Valley wine country, where you can spend an afternoon tasting wines while your dog hangs out beside you on the patio. The winery offers weekly tasting flights showcasing their current releases, plus wines by the glass and cheese pairings if you want to make an afternoon of it.

The setup here works well for dogs. There’s an expansive indoor tasting bar if the weather turns, but the real draw is the multiple outdoor patios where you can settle in with a glass and your dog nearby. One of the patios has bocce ball if you’re in the mood for that kind of thing—it’s the kind of relaxed activity where your dog can just lounge while you play a round or two. The surrounding Carmel Valley landscape is pretty nice to look at while you’re sipping, rolling hills and vineyard views that make you feel like you’ve actually gotten away from it all.

What makes this spot genuinely dog-friendly rather than just tolerant of dogs is that it doesn’t feel like an afterthought. You’re not sequestered in some cramped corner—your dog gets the same patio experience you do. The staff seems accustomed to dogs being part of the visit. If you’re doing a wine country day with your dog, this beats other tasting rooms where dogs are technically allowed but clearly not encouraged.

Carmel Valley has several wineries clustered in the area, so you could hit a few tastings in a day if you wanted to make it a real expedition. Just plan to visit when you have the time to actually sit down and enjoy it rather than rushing through. The pace here is deliberately unhurried, and that’s the point.