Dog-Friendly Wineries Purcellville, VA: Where To Take Your Pup in Winter
How do you spend an entire afternoon out and about with your pup when it’s frigidly cold and windy? Wine tasting! Walks outside only last a few minutes and restaurants don’t allow dogs inside. But wineries offer a warm place to enjoy wine and offer food or the option to bring your own. These dog-friendly wineries provided the perfect venue to get out of the house and enjoy some food and drink with your pup while staying toasty warm. Read along for more information about these dog-friendly wineries in Purcellville, VA.
First Stop: Maggie Malick Wine Caves
Our first stop was Maggie Malick Wine Caves. Just a few miles from the West Virginia border, it’s one of the western-most Virginia wineries we’ve visited. We’d sampled their wines previously at the Mount Vernon Wine Festival (the absolute best wine festival in Virginia in our opinion) and heard they were dog friendly, so we were excited to finally visit.
It was clear from the beginning how much they love dogs. The dog-friendly signs at the main entrance and dog crossing signs along the drive gave us a clue. The dog treats and books at the tasting counter left no doubt. Rummy was greeted enthusiastically and the hooks at the counter provided a place to hang her leash. (It still surprises me how many counters don’t have hooks, but that’s a whole other topic…)
Lisa conducted our tasting and is really phenomenal. She only not provided information about each wine, but more in depth history of the grapes’ origins, the winery and even etymology. Overall, a great tasting. Another couple with two dogs arrived in the middle of our tasting and they were also greeted with open arms. We only saw two tables inside, so this probably isn’t a place you’ll sit and stay for a while. But it’s great for popping in with your pup.
Second Stop: Two Twisted Posts, A new Virginia Favorite
Then it was on to Two Twisted Posts, also on Harpers Ferry Road. This is a new favorite for several reasons. First, they are super dog friendly. Their “pets welcome” sign by the main entrance sign is the first of its kind we’ve seen. They clearly want to you to feel comfortable bringing your pup along. This was by far the coldest and windiest day we’ve visited wineries, so walking in to see the fire in the living room setting of the tasting room was such a pleasant sight.
The Tasting
Costco, who conducted our tasting here, was also phenomenal. His command of storytelling combined with his knowledge of history and wine made for one of the more entertaining tastings we’ve experienced. And Rummy was comfortable lying next to us at the tasting counter until we walked over to the living room with a glass and cheese platter. We counted roughly 16 seats inside among the tables in the tasting area and the loveseat, rocking chairs and wine barrels-turned-seats in the living room area. It may feel a bit crowded on a busy day, but on a day like this, it felt perfectly homey. We did catch a peak of another room with tables, which may be for events, so there is potential for more seating if needed.
The Wine
We usually don’t say much about the wine, as the purpose of our reviews is to provide information on how easy it is to include your dog on a visit. But we have to here. The Petit Verdot is in our Top 5 Virginia wines. We limited ourselves to one glass as we wanted to visit a few wineries, but it was tough. On a cold day like this, we wanted nothing more than to settle in by the fire with a bottle and cheese. Rummy was so comfortable on the rug in front of the fire that we know she wouldn’t have objected. We look forward to returning again when we have more time.
Our next stop was Corcoran Vineyards and Cidery, which also has a dog-friendly tasting room. But they were closed so we decided to return to 8 Chains North, another one uber welcoming to pups, just a few miles down the road in Waterford.
Last Stop: 8 Chains North
8 Chains North not only allows dogs, they have a fenced dog park for them. After minding her manners during the tastings, it’s nice to give Rummy an opportunity to run free. And she did. It was super cold sitting out there with her, but she deserved it. And I had a stunning view of the vines under snow.
Back in the tasting room they were celebrating National Cheese Day with cheese pairings. They also offered their chocolate pairings as usual, but we opted for the cheese. This added a nice new twist on wines we’d previously tasted.
Another thing we really like about 8 Chains is the abundance of indoor seating. There are a few sofas in living room-style areas with a fireplace as well as tables. So you don’t have to stand around awkwardly trying not to stare at people who look like they’re leaving soon. Definitely one of the more dog-friendly wineries we’ve visited and, just few miles from Virginia State Route 7, it’s really easy to access.
There are so many more wineries in the Purcellville area so we’ll be making more trips up there. We usually default to the Delaplane area because of its convenient location right off of I-66. But taking Route 7/Leesburg Pike, Purcellville is only a little more than an hour drive from Alexandria, much more accessible than a quick glance at the map may lead you to believe. Check out the recap of our last visit to Purcellville wineries here.
To find more dog-friendly wineries, check out our Wineries page. And let us know if you find more we should add!