Gustafson Family Vineyards sits in the heart of Healdsburg wine country, and unlike most tasting rooms, they genuinely welcome dogs to join you while you drink. The vineyard focuses exclusively on grapes they grow themselves, taking advantage of the lean, rocky volcanic soils that produce smaller berries with concentrated flavors. When you visit, you can take a guided tour to see how they actually make their wine—open-top fermentation bins, manual punch-downs, extended maceration—the whole hands-on process that goes into each bottle.

The real draw for visiting with your dog is the outdoor setup. You’ll sit with a glass of their Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc while your dog settles in at your feet, and you’re looking out over the vineyard rows and the surrounding hills. There’s typically shady spots scattered around, so your dog won’t be stuck in the sun while you’re lingering over wine. The staff here actually seems to like having dogs around rather than tolerating them, which makes a real difference in how comfortable you feel settling in for an hour or two.

The tasting room has that relaxed family-run feel—nothing pretentious about it. They’re happy to chat about their winemaking approach and can point you toward nearby trails or dog-friendly spots in Healdsburg if you want to explore more after tasting. The Healdsburg Plaza with its town square is walkable from wine country, and the whole area is pretty dog-friendly beyond just the vineyard itself.

Call ahead before heading out to confirm they’re open and to ask about any current guidelines they’re following. It’s worth the conversation anyway since the staff can tell you which spots in the tasting area work best for dogs and might have suggestions for your specific situation.