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Local winery guide

With the temperatures cooling and the leaves changing, fall is the perfect time to visit a local vineyard. But with hundreds in the area, where does one start? An expert shares his favorites.

Now, both houses of the Virginia General Assembly have approved a measure that allows those four-legged friends to join their owners on the premises.

Democratic Del. John Bell, of Loudoun County, proposed the legislation — and he has gotten final approval from the state Senate.

Bell that some winery owners said they were losing up to 25 percent of their business due to state rules that effectively banned dogs from being anywhere inside a winery or brewery.

Loudoun County is home to many of the state’s wineries.

The new legislation gives winery operators the option of allowing dogs in tasting rooms, though the canines are still forbidden from being around food production.

It’s expected to go into effect July 1.

The Virginia House of Delegates passed the bill 97-2 at the end of January, with only Del. Lee Ware of Powhatan and Del. David Yancey of Newport ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ opposed.

²ÝÝ®´«Ã½’s Sandy Kozel contributed to this report.