Yountville is famous for many things – Napa Valley wines, vineyard views, cosseting hotels and Michelin star-studded dining.

This beguiling village also loves our furry friends. Yes, Fifi, Fido, Whiskers or Bo – Yountville will leave a light on for ’em, and a water bowl out, too.

In fact, Yountville is the only Wine Country town where one winery (Jessup Cellars) hosts a summertime fashion parade for the best-dressed dogs. They call it their Dress to the K-Nines Stroll.

Even Yountville’s celebrity chefs welcome our best friends on their outdoor patios, namely, Thomas Keller of Bouchon Bakery and Ad Hoc Addendum, and Michael Chiarello of NapaStyle.

Read on for Napa Valley’s best dog walks, plus the many ways Yountville’s wineries, restaurants, lodgings and other businesses welcome the beloved companions we can’t leave home without.

Please do get in touch if this story might be of interest to your readers, and if I can get you more details.

-Christine
Lodging

• The French country-inspired Vintage Inn welcomes pets of all kinds. The Inn’s Pet Fee includes pet bowls, a pet bed fashioned with cushions, and wrought iron doggy beds with mattresses on request.  An amenity package with treats and other dog essentials is presented at check-in, and treats are always available at the front desk. In the morning, precious pooches can accompany their owners for Champagne breakfast on the Vintage Inn patio.
• Lavender Inn welcomes dogs up to two per room and “Breakfast in Bed” is included in the Pet Fee.
• At North Block Hotel, property mascot and canine greeter Pismo often stars in the hotel’s Facebook page postings. Guests who bring their canine companion will find a comfy pet bed, bowls and special treats, all complimentary.
• The luxe Bardessono welcomes pets; the hotel’s Lucy Restaurant & Bar offers a Dog Menu and, in summer and fall, a dog-friendly happy hour called Dog Bar (see more under Lucy Restaurant, below).

Dining

• Outdoor patio picnics are available for pups and “parents” at Michael Chiarello’s NapaStyle, see also “Shopping.”
• At Hurley’s Restaurant, Chef Bob Hurley and team welcome dogs on the patio with a water bowl and a treat.
• Pacific Blues Café welcomes dogs on the patio with a San Francisco Giants water bowl or a plain bowl, on request.
• At Lucy Restaurant at the Bardessono, the Dog Menu includes three entrees and two desserts for pups dining on the Lucy Patio. They’ve also started a dog-friendly happy hour called Dog Bar. 2014 marks the second year of the program which runs late spring through October. From 5-7 p.m. guests can bring in their dogs for a special promotion: $25 includes light snacks and a glass of wine from Lucy Restaurant & Bar (for the owner) and a cookie for your pup. All proceeds benefit the local humane society. Lucy encourages everyone to post their favorite photos of their dogs and their visits to the Dog Bar to Lucy’s Facebook wall, too. Each week, the person that receives the most likes for their photo receives lunch for two at Lucy.
• Other pup-friendly outdoor dining is available at Bistro Jeanty, and at two of Thomas Keller’s restaurants, Ad Hoc’s Addendum and Bouchon Bakery.  Bouchon offers two kinds of gourmet dog biscuits alongside their regular delectables, made from freshly ground corn meal and wholesome chicken liver, then glazed with a touch of ketchup. Yummy and good for them, too!

Wine Tasting

• V Wine Cellar offers Sip and Swirl with Fifi, a wine boutique and tasting lounge. While visitors enjoy their private wine tasting on the patio, their dogs are treated to gourmet dog treats and water served in bowls made from recycled wine boxes.
• hope & grace wines is dog friendly and has a charming canine greeter – Romeo – a real love.
• Cosentino Winery is 100% pet friendly. Furry guests can come inside and hang out at the tasting bar or, for a more scenic setting, the winery’s brand new patio is perfect for lapping up the Napa Valley sunshine and fresh air.
• Other dog-friendly tasting rooms: Girard Winery, Somerston Wine Co/Priest Ranch, Domaine Chandon and Hill Family Estate.

Shopping for pups

• “We have such cute gifts for dogs at NapaStyle – feeders, bowls, pillows, treat jars – and our furry friends are welcome to enjoy our beautiful patio for lunch,” says Michael Chiarello.

Walks and Hikes
Yountville is the best walking town for pets in Napa Valley, the perfect place for travelers and their four-legged friends to soak in the beauty of wine country:

• Stroll over to Yountville Community Park–dog-friendly and right in town. In fact, five parks in Yountville welcome pets.  The link above contains the park map.
• The “Yountville Mile” (the first segment of the Napa Valley Vine Trail) runs from the north end of town, south to Domaine Chandon, and pets are welcome.
• The Napa River Ecological Reserve Trail, one of the few dog-friendly trails on public lands in all of Napa Valley, is located on the Yountville Crossroad.  Its one-mile interpretive loop trail has been called an oasis in wine country.