Craig and Julie Russell run Julietta Winery in Clarksburg, a quiet corner of the Sacramento County wine region that feels a world away from the busier tasting rooms closer to Highway 5. The couple is often there themselves, working behind the bar and genuinely interested in talking about their wines and how they ended up opening this place. You’ll get a real sense of their story and their approach to winemaking rather than the standard tasting room experience.

The vineyard sits about 20 minutes from central Clarksburg, in an area where you can actually breathe and your dog can actually relax. Dogs are welcome here without any fuss, and there’s real space to move around. You can walk through the vineyard rows with your dog if you want to get a feel for what they’re working with, or just settle onto the outdoor patio with a glass of their wine while your dog stretches out beside you. The patio has enough shade and seating that you won’t feel rushed, and the view across the vineyards is the kind of thing that makes you understand why people chose to set up a winery in this particular spot rather than somewhere more famous.

What stands out is how genuinely welcoming Craig and Julie are to visitors bringing dogs along. There’s no sense of dog-friendly-as-an-afterthought here. It’s just part of how they run the place. Their award-winning wines are solid, but honestly, the whole experience feels less about impressing you and more about sharing something they’ve built. If you’re driving through the Sacramento County wine country and want a stop where you won’t have to leave your dog in the car or worry about whether your dog is actually welcome, this is exactly the kind of place that makes these visits actually work.