St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Santa Rosa sits in the heart of Sonoma Valley with a mission-style Tasting Room and sweeping vineyard views that make the afternoon pass quickly. They welcome dogs on the spacious outdoor patio, which is where you’ll actually spend your time — it’s got plenty of sun and shade depending on what your dog prefers, and there’s real room for them to stretch out while you work through their estate and small-production wines from Sonoma Valley and Russian River Valley.

The patio setup works well because it’s relaxed enough that dogs tend to settle in without getting anxious, and you’ll usually find other dog owners around, so there’s a low-pressure social element if you feel like chatting with someone. The grounds beyond the patio are worth exploring too — there are walking paths through the landscaped property that give you a chance to move around with your dog after tasting, which helps break up the sitting-and-sipping routine.

What you’ll want to know going in: bring water for your dog since wine country afternoons can get warm, even in the shade. A few treats help too, especially if your dog gets restless. The patio can get moderately crowded on weekends, so if you prefer a quieter experience, a weekday visit works better. The actual tasting happens at the bar inside the mission-style building, and depending on how your dog does with being left briefly, you might want to scope out the patio situation before settling in for a full tasting.

Call ahead about their current pet policy since these things shift seasonally, and ask if any special events are happening during your visit — sometimes they do things that change the usual flow of a day. The combination of decent wines and a genuinely dog-friendly setup makes this a solid option if you’re wine tasting your way through Sonoma Valley and don’t want to leave your dog behind at the hotel.