dogs & kids @ Barrel Oak Winery? (Cana: how much, home, to buy)

[trm5507]

I was looking at a list of dog-friendly places in the D.C. metro area and came across the website for Barrel Oak Winery. (Welcome to Barrel Oak Winery) According to their website, they are dog and kid friendly. I've never been to a winery or any type of wine tasting, especially not with my dog and toddler in tow. Can anyone give me more information?

What happens when you go to a winery? How much wine do you drink (as in, do my husband and I have to fight over who's the DD)? Is there an inside aspect (and if there is, can my dog go indoors too?) or is it all outdoors? Are there places for my toddler to run around? Or by kid friendly, do they mean older kids who might be interested in the tour? Any specific kid friendly features, like grape juice tasting perhaps? (no clue, just making that up). Would this be a good place for a fun family outing, maybe when they have live music?

Seriously, I'm clueless. Please enlighten me. Thanks!

[hilsmom]

We went there for a family day event in the fall. The inside area is actually quite large, but the outside area is lovely if you can wait until spring. Lots of people with pets and kids while the music played and food was served. We had a wonderful afternoon there, and yes, I do believe they provided juice for my kiddo. I would say you should pace yourself so that someone can drive home, obviously

[Carlingtonian]

Dogs are fine, as long as the dog spits the wine out after tasting it. ;-)


OK, to actually try to be useful: We went to some winery tours in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in Canada. Most of it is indoors. They walk you around some cavernous cask rooms, where you sample the different wines. You don't end up drinking that much, so I don't think a DD is necessary. (And spitting out the wine is reputedly the very "insider" thing to do at tastings--but to me it just seems like a real waste.) I don't think toddlers running around would be welcome, but older kids might be. You should definitely ask the winery, as it could be a legal thing. Dogs, I'd be surprised. But you never know. Again, I'd ask the winery. Have fun!

[hilsmom]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

OK, to actually try to be useful: We went to some winery tours in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in Canada.

NOTL is GORGEOUS!!! We started our 2 week road trip through Ontario and Quebec there in 2005. I'd love to go back!

[CaliTerp07]

Very dog friendly place! We've hosted fundraisers for our rescue there. There's a resident pup or two around if you can't bring your own

[GoHokiesGo]

In regards to how much you drink at the tastings - it's usually a minimal amount over the course of a tasting, you might wind up having drank 1 full glass total after sampling their wines. I can't recall how many wines you sample at Barrel Oak, but most wineries have 4-5 whites and 4-5 reds to try where you get enough for usually 2-3 sips of each. Typically they'll have water to rinse your glass and for you to sip to help keep hydrated, and a lot of them will pair the tasting with chocolates, small cheese bites, and crackers. The tastings are usually a lot of fun, and often times you'll have the owners serving you directly. They can answer any questions you have about the wines and generally are very happy that you're visiting their winery.

We typically pack a picnic basket for lunch and eat on the winery grounds or deck areas (which nearly all of them have). If we like their wines, we may buy one to drink while eating lunch - and you can always cork and take it home if it's more than your group drinks in a sitting.

Several of the wineries are dog friendly and allow you to bring your pet along with you, and most have their own dog roaming the grounds to keep other critters out of the vineyards and tasting rooms (usually very friendly pets as well).

[kevinm]

KEEP KIDS AWAY FROM WINERIES!!!!! It is about as "low class" as going to a bar and having your two-year old sitting on the stool next to you. Can adults not go anywhere without having to tolerate people's litters??

[hilsmom]

I wouldn't take a baby to a bar like in Sweet Home Alabama. But there are definitely some family friendly vineyards in VA. They let you know on their websites, and most people will do their research ahead of time before bringing a kid to a vineyard/winery.

On the day we went to Barrel Oak, we visited a vineyard that was strictly 21 and over around noon. Our friends did the tasting with us, then we shared a pitcher of sangria and some snack trays. Our daughter stayed with my friend's mom during this time, and then we went back to grab my kid, my friend's mom and my friend's dog and headed to Barrel Oak for the afternoon.

[trm5507]

Originally Posted by kevinm

KEEP KIDS AWAY FROM WINERIES!!!!! It is about as "low class" as going to a bar and having your two-year old sitting on the stool next to you. Can adults not go anywhere without having to tolerate people's litters??

Litters?! I hope no children are unfortunate enough to have you as a parent... jerk

Thanks to everyone else for the advice. I would not take my toddler there if it was inappropriate to do so, but as the winery's website says that children are welcome, I was trying to find out more information...

[g3org3]

I've been to Barrel Oak and it is dog- and kid-friendly.
I don't recall what their policy is, but there may be a small fee ($5-$10) for the tasting; many wineries waive it if you buy a couple bottles. If the fee is steep, or there are a lot wines (they may offer different tastings -- all whites, all reds, etc.), you can 'split' a tasting with your husband, each taking a sip of each wine. As another poster mentioned, the amount of wine you get during the tasting is small. It's not uncommon, however, for people to buy a bottle to consume on-site with lunch or snacks. If you do this, know that Virginia allows you to recork a partially-consumed bottle and take it home (you can do this at restaurants, too).