Talbott Winery sits along Carmel Valley Road, about 12 miles east of Carmel and easy to reach from Highway 1. The tasting room opens onto a garden patio where you can actually bring your dog along while you taste wine—something you don’t find everywhere.

The setup works well for a leisurely afternoon. You’re welcome to bring your own picnic to pair with their wines, which means you could show up with a spread of cheeses, crackers, or whatever sounds good and spread out on the patio with your dog nearby. The gardens give dogs room to move around and explore a bit between sips. On a nice day, it’s the kind of place where time moves slowly. You get the gentle sounds of the valley, the landscaping around you, and a glass of their Pinot Noir or Chardonnay in hand.

The staff can point you toward wines that work with whatever food you’ve brought, which actually matters when you’re trying to make picnic pairings work. The atmosphere stays relaxed—nobody’s going to rush you through your tasting just because you’ve got a dog at your feet.

The main thing to know going in is that while dogs are definitely welcome here, policies around seating or any special events can shift, so calling ahead makes sense. Same goes if you’re curious about what they might have happening on the day you want to visit. Carmel Valley has plenty of other stops nearby if you want to make a longer wine country outing—this just happens to be one where your dog doesn’t have to stay in the car while you taste.