Winery Walks

Adult Time…

Walking through the vineyards at Pinnacle Ridge.

Are you a wine drinker, a connoisseur or are you still trying to find a variety you like?  Wherever you fall on the wine consumption spectrum, you are sure to enjoy a visit to a winery on a colorful, crisp autumn afternoon.  You might take a guided or self-guided tour and picnic among the grapevines.  Many wineries feature live music, offer fruit and cheese plates or host special dinners. Once you’ve tasted a few and found your favorites, most wineries sell their special vintages by the bottle.  Local wine is a great choice when dining BYOB anywhere and a great house gift. While this is strictly an adult-only activity, it does not have to be human-only. Your well-behaved canine companion is often welcome!

Enjoy…

Wine tasting on the patio at Blair Vineyards.

Ask a dog lover who’s tried it and you are likely to get this type of response:  “…Best day with my dog! Great food, great wine, great company for both humans and dogs! Great socialization for the dogs – they all had a ball; so did I…” Sounds like it’s well worth a try.  If you are traveling, you will need to check on pet friendly hotels. But the good news is that you don’t have to go too far out of town.  The following wineries are all day trips for Lehigh Valley dwellers and all are agreeable to accommodating your four-legged friends:

Blair Vineyards in Kutztown; Weathered Vineyards in New Tripoli; Franklin Hill in Bangor, PA; Galen Glen in Andreas, PA; Pinnacle Ridge in Kutztown, PA; Tolino Vineyards in Bangor, PA; Blue Ridge Estates in Saylorsburg, PA.  There are also pet friendly wineries to tour in nearby Bucks County, Chester County and Southern New Jersey.

Call Ahead…

From Australia to the Napa Valley to the Finger Lakes to the Lehigh Valley, many wineries offer tours, hikes and/or tastings and allow you to bring your pets along.  Some do so only at certain times of the day or certain days of the week, or certain weeks of the season, so call before you go to confirm if and when you can bring your pet along!   Please be very sensitive to other visitors at the winery.  Typically, the best time to bring your pet are dry days during the wineries least crowded times, weekdays or Sundays after 3:00 PM.

A Word of Caution…

We can’t have wine, but know you brought snacks.

Do not allow your dog to sample the wine!

Consuming grapes, including seedless, seeded, store bought, homegrown, grape pressings and raisins, can cause acute renal failure in dogs. If a dog consumes a glass of wine, the potential toxicity relies on two things: the amount of grapes used to make the wine and the size of the dog. Wines that are made solely of grapes, with no other fermented fruit, are potentially more dangerous than an apple wine or an apricot wine. The size of the dog is the other factor: just like a smaller human will be more affected by one glass of wine than a larger human, a smaller dog may get sick from a little wine while a larger dog may be fine.

However, even if you have a very large dog, he could possibly get sick from just a sip. Wine affects many dogs differently.

A short but hilly stroll through the vines at Pinnacle Ridge.

In the event your dog consumes grapes or wine, call your vet or an animal poison control center immediately. To be on the safe side, get your dog checked out, especially if you are unsure of how much he consumed.

If you prefer to venture out to the wineries with a group, you will find dog walking groups in many areas. In the Lehigh Valley, the Bandana Bunch walking club from Cold Nose Lodge visits local parks and wineries. For more information, visit our website. www.coldnoselodge.com/bandana_bunch