Water bowls for them, great wines for you.
We’re big fans of spending a day at a winery, but our four-legged friends might just enjoy it even more. While we get to soak up the setting and vineyard views over great wine and food, dogs get to explore a new space, revel in admiring pats, and snaffle a few snacks along the way. There’s often a resident winery dog to play with, too. It’s a pooch’s paradise.
Just like so many bars these days, wineries are increasingly dog-friendly places. So, if you love a cellar-door adventure and hate leaving your furry pal behind, we’ve found some of the best dog-friendly wineries around Australia. At the following estates, you can look forward to a very warm welcome, indulgent treats, adoration (for them, not so much you, sorry), and a top day out.
Petaluma, Adelaide Hills
Just a 40-minute drive from South Australia’s capital, Petaluma’s cellar door is in a converted farmstead with sweeping views of the pretty Adelaide Hills. Petaluma offers a range of wine tastings – don’t miss their flagship Croser sparklings – as well as regional produce platters designed to share between two or three people (and maybe a dog). As for your pooch, they’ll find water bowls, treats and even dog beds so you can all kick back on the deck area. On cooler days, well-behaved pups can join you inside by the fire.
Wirra Wirra, McLaren Vale
With long-time popular wines like the Church Block cabernet blend, Wirra Wirra is a McLaren Vale hotspot, and your dog will love it, too. Council regulations mean they can’t join you inside, but there’s a lovely verandah where you can do a full tasting with them beside you, and they have heating out there for cooler days. If you get peckish, Harry’s Deli has a dog-friendly garden area where you can tuck into a cheese plate or panini, crispy pork belly or their much-loved lamb pie.
West Cape Howe, Mount Barker
Sitting among some of the oldest vines in the Great Southern, West Cape Howe is a top stop, and ideal place for you and your dog to stretch your legs. There’s plenty of room for well-behaved dogs to run around outside – the lawns here are impressive – and water bowls keep them refreshed. You can join them outside for a self-guided tasting from the West Cape Howe range, and follow it with a bite to eat – choose from quiche, pizza, antipasto and more.
Hay Shed Hill, Margaret River
They love four-legged visitors at Hay Shed Hill, which sits in a stunning Margaret River spot. Your dog can come inside for your guided tasting from the range (the tempranillo is a highlight), and they can also hang with you as you dine al fresco at the restaurant, Rustico. If you’re a sucker for taking pics of your pooch, visit over summer when Rustico’s doggie station returns – expect water bowls, treats and Polaroids for you to snap a souvenir shot of them on the day.
Rob Dolan Wines, Yarra Valley
At the gateway to the Yarra Valley, Rob Dolan Wines is an excellent introduction to this celebrated region. While you take a guided tasting of five flagship wines (this is chardonnay and pinot noir territory, but there’s much more to try here) your dog can settle in beside you on a leash. You’re also likely to meet their dog Merlot, and the team loves to feature visiting dogs on Merlot’s Instagram page. To see more of the Yarra, there’s even a Pooches & Pinot Tour that leaves the decisions – and driving – to others.
Dal Zotto, King Valley
The King Valley’s Dal Zotto is a family winery with a strong Italian heritage (you can also thank them for Australian-made prosecco), and their beautiful estate in north-east Victoria will keep you and your pup very happy. Dogs can’t go inside the cellar door, but they can make themselves at home outside on the lead while you enjoy a guided tasting out there; we recommend the line-up of all their prosecco styles, before sipping on a glass of your favourite. The picturesque setting is perfect for an afternoon outdoors.
Artemis Wines, Southern Highlands
The Southern Highlands is a pretty place, but Artemis Wines has especially attractive grounds. That means hanging out on the winery’s lawn with your dog on-lead is a pretty great way to spend an afternoon. If you plan your arrival for before or after lunch, you can book an outdoor table for a guided tasting of wines from their range. And if you and your dog want to linger, you can choose from wines by the glass, and spirits and beers to pair with a platter of produce or pizza.
Leogate Estate, Hunter Valley
With one of the more striking backdrops in the Hunter Valley, Leogate Estate looks out at the Brokenback Mountains. This winery’s wraparound courtyard is a prime spot to soak up the outlook, and you can enjoy it all with your dog on leash while you take one of their guided tastings (seven canapes paired with their reserve wines is brilliant value at $55). That might lead to staying on for a meal, and if you’re still not ready to move on, two of their guest villas even allow dogs to stay, too.
Shaw Wines, Murrumbateman
A distinctive contemporary building houses the Shaw Wines cellar door, and dogs are welcome here on the terrace. Thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass throughout, you can do a tasting of eight of their wines inside while keeping an eye on your dog, or you could opt for a tasting of four wines on the terrace beside them. Right next to cellar door is the restaurant Olleyville, which has a great outdoor dining space where dogs can hang with you, complete with heating to combat those chilly days.
Clonakilla, Murrumbateman
As one of Canberra District’s most celebrated wineries, Clonakilla is an excellent stop on any tour of this region, especially if you’re road-tripping with your dog. You can both appreciate this winery’s outdoor space, which has heaters and blinds for all seasons, and a team member can lead you through a tasting out there, too. Stop in to see why this winery has long drawn so many fans and accolades, from their sought-after Shiraz Viognier to their pristine whites, including riesling and chardonnay.
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Ballandean Estate Wines, Granite Belt
Queensland’s oldest winery Ballandean Estate Wines has been making wine since 1932, with a focus on diverse varieties. Come with your dog and nab a table in the courtyard – you can taste the wines out there. This family winery also has two “poochie tables” closest to the doors, so you can have your dog just outside. When the weather’s right, those doors stay open, and your dog can be right at your feet as you enjoy a wine and antipasto plate at these tables.
Symphony Hill Wines, Granite Belt
Another winery that champions alternative varieties (the region is home to the Strange Bird Trail incorporating many producers of diverse styles), Symphony Hill Wines has an expansive range. The winery includes a space out the front where you can taste the wines while your dog lies at your feet; water bowls included. You can build your own tasting by choosing the wines you want to try, and visiting is a great way to grasp their high-altitude wines – their Reserve Shiraz comes from the highest vineyard in the region.
Clover Hill, Tamar Valley
If you’re into quality sparkling wines, put Clover Hill in Northern Tasmania top of your cellar-door hitlist. As a premium producer of bubbles, Clover Hill runs a tasting masterclass of their sparkling range at their smart cellar door. On weekdays, they offer cheese packages, and on weekends, their restaurant, Clover’s Kitchen, serves up a set menu that’s designed to show their wide-ranging wines at their best. The best bit? You can enjoy all of it outside with your dog.
Devil’s Corner, Bicheno
Cellar door locations don’t get much more enticing than Devil’s Corner on the island state’s east coast. There’s a whole lot of lawn here and designated areas for dogs, who are also welcome on-leash around the sides of the cellar door and in the rear courtyard. Hang out with your pooch al fresco while you work through a self-guided tasting from their popular range of wines, and be sure to make time for food – the pizza and mussels come highly recommended.
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