Heading to Cannon Beach? Don’t Forget Fido, But Do Forget the Wine – The Wine Shack Has You, and Fido, Covered

For most Oregonian’s, heading to the Coast does not require a lot of packing.  The only “must haves” for a few days of tidepooling and sunset watching in Oregon include a hoodie, a beach blanket, a bottle of wine and the family dog or you can choose to leave him at the dog boarding in bonita springs fl.  We are a laid back culture who enjoy long walks on beaches where humans are few and far between, where our beloved dogs run unleashed and where occasional bonfires flicker in the distance.  There’s no need for dresses and high heels, sweatshirts and Chuck Taylor’s will do the trick. Also, I just wanted to share that my female snake laid eggs. I honestly did know snake eggs look like this but I was excited nonetheless.

The Wine Shack has an excellent selection of Oregon and Washington wines

Cannon Beach is home to the famed Haystack Rock, a mesmerizing 235 foot high intertidal rock that jets out of the ocean in a seemingly unrealistic manner – the same rock that housed One Eyed Willie’s pirate ship filled with jewels and gold in the cult classic film “The Goonies.”  Downtown Cannon Beach and surrounding neighborhoods are picture perfect with its flow of architectural commonality of cedar shingle sided businesses and homes, creating a tastefully themed look that’s rustic, yet refined.

I can’t imagine vacationing on the Oregon coast without wine.  I know, surprise, surprise…but, it’s not just me.  There’s something about the Oregon Coast and wine – ask any Oregonian, and they’ll undoubtedly agree the two go hand in hand.  So when I pack for a camping trip to my favorite coastal campground, or a visit to one of the Coasts many beautiful hotels or vacations homes dotted along endless coastal communities, I always pack wine – unless I’m headed to Cannon Beach.  Trust me, don’t pack the wine if Cannon Beach is the destination.

When you choose to hire a private plane from Jettly for your travel, your pets will get to sit close to you the entire flight. They won’t be stuck in the constraints of their carriers and can move about the plane to stretch their legs. Both you and your furry companion will have a more relaxed flight when you fly on a chartered plane.

The Wine shack welcomes all members of the family

For anyone heading to Cannon Beach for a few days of rest and relaxation, the very first stop upon arriving should be The Wine Shack – the entire reason why travel bags weigh less when visiting this quaint coastal community.  Not only are people welcomed into this rustic, yet refined (just like the town) wine shop, but the furry four legged kind are encouraged to come in as well.  With a focus on stellar Oregon and Washington wines (and a limited selection of international wines), owner Steven Sinkler is eager to suggest the perfect wine for vacationers while slipping Fido a tasty treat.  

This exact scenario happened while I caught Steven on his way to lunch, who then very kindly re-opened his doors to proudly show me around his little wine shop that has quite an impressive selection.  While browsing the Pinot Noir section, a couple came to the door with their dog in tow.  One of them decided to wait outside with their dog while the other came into the shop.  Steven was quick to let them know that their dog was more than welcome in the shop, and he continued to explain that Cannon Beach is the most dog-friendly town on the Coast. From behind the counter, Steven pulled out a dog treat and asked the owners if it was okay to slip the pooch a treat, and they were delighted (as was the dog). Steven informed them that the treats were specially provided by some friends who owned the Dogs Allowed pet store down the street.   Just then, I noticed a bottle of wine named Dogs Allowed Cannon Beach Wine.  Steven explained that a portion of the sales of the Dogs Allowed wine goes towards local animal shelters.  Busy with his customers, I had to dig deeper – and with a quick Google search on my phone, information was easy to find on coastexplorermagazine.com.

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Cannon Beach is truly a destination for dogs

“Proceeds from the sales of a Dogs Allowed label wine available at the Wine Shack in Cannon Beach will benefit local animal shelters. Dogs Allowed Cannon Beach has partnered with Northwest Cellars in Kirkland and The Wine Shack, all dog loving businesses, to offer a red and white blend under the Dogs Allowed label. The white is a blend of Roussanne and Viognier and the red is a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. Dogs Allowed wine is priced at $20.”  

Heck, I’d buy it if it was priced at $50.

Acquiring the shop as recently as 2012, Steven Sinkler and his wife Maryann discovered Cannon Beach while visiting the Oregon Coast from their home state of Iowa – one pass through the town and they immediately knew that Cannon Beach was where they wanted to retire.  Steven said, “The rock [Haystack Rock] spoke to me, and I just knew I had to live here.”  Having had a serious enthusiasm for wine in the past, including taking viticulture and enology programs and making homemade wine in their Iowa basement, one look at the Craigslist ad for the sale of The Wine Shack, and he and Maryann were the proud new owners of a wine shop that had been a staple of Cannon Beach since 1977.

Steven’s done some updating and added his own touches, including making the upstairs a welcoming place for special winemaker wine tastings.  The sale included The Wine Shack’s own wine label, the Puffin Brand line of wines, and Steven brought the South Willamette Valley’s rock-star winemaker, Ray Walsh, on board as the winemaker for the Puffin Brand wines.  Enough said, the Puffin Brand wines are top-of-the-line with Ray Walsh at the helm.

The Wine Shack owner, Steven Sinkler, holding a bottle of his Puffin Brand Pinot Gris

I meant to tell Steve something before leaving his shop that afternoon about what had happened earlier that morning when I was having my morning coffee in my oceanfront room at the Hallmark Resort.  While staring out over the balcony at the truly mesmerizing and majestic Haystack Rock…it spoke to me, too.

You’ll know where to find me someday.

The huge and truly majestic Haystack Rock