Thorn-Clarke Wines

Thorn-Clarke is a family-owned Barossa cellar door at 266 Gawler Park Road in Angaston, with a modern tasting room and a big lawn looking over the Milton Park vineyard. Dogs are welcome on a lead, and that lawn is the reason to bring yours: there is genuine room to settle in with a glass and a platter rather than balancing on a narrow deck.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on a lead across the outdoor areas, with the lawn and the outdoor seating beside the tasting room the spots to aim for. The main tasting space is indoors but sits directly next to the outdoor tables, so you can order, taste and stay within patting distance the whole time. Bring your own water bowl; the grounds are set up for people first.

Pepsi: get there early on a warm day and claim a shaded edge of the lawn so your dog has somewhere cool to flop while you work through the flight.

Worth knowing

BYO picnics are permitted on the lawn, or you can order a produce platter and wines by the glass. There are lawn games, a golf driving range and an EV charger on site, so the setup suits a longer, unhurried visit rather than a quick tasting stop. The wines to look for are the Barossa shiraz and cabernet along with an Eden Valley riesling. The garden setting draws families, so weekends can fill the lawn quickly.

Getting there and parking

The cellar door is about three minutes from the Angaston township, with plenty of parking on site. It opens Friday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and closes Monday to Thursday, so plan the dog-in-tow visit for the back half of the week.

Close by with the dogs

Lambert Estate Wines is also in Angaston, and Turkey Flat Vineyards in Tanunda keeps dogs welcome in its outdoor courtyard and garden seating. For a chocolate stop with the dog waiting outside, Melba's Chocolates Barossa Valley is a local fixture.

Weekday late mornings are calmest if you want first pick of the lawn. On weekends aim early, and pack shade and water in warm weather because the lawn is open and exposed. More dog-friendly Barossa stops are listed on the Angaston destination page.