Shaws Road Winery

Shaws Road Winery is a boutique, family-run cellar door at 225 Shaws Road in Arthurs Creek, about an hour north of Melbourne, set among rolling vineyards and paddocks. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor dining area, which makes this a genuine long-lunch option on the way through the Nillumbik countryside rather than a leave-the-dog-at-home restaurant.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor terrace and in the outdoor dining area, so you can settle in for a tasting or the set lunch menu with your dog beside you. Indoor dining is kept for humans only. Water bowls are generally available on request. One clear limit: the on-site luxury B&B is a working farm and is not set up for pets, so this is a day-trip venue for dog owners, not an overnight one.

Pepsi: ask for a water bowl as soon as you sit down on the terrace. A big lunch on a warm day means your dog will want one long before you think of it.

Worth knowing

The estate grows its own fruit, and the kitchen runs an Italian-influenced three-course set lunch built on local produce. Views across the paddocks get compared to the English countryside in reviews, and the feel is relaxed and rustic rather than a polished cellar door. Cheese boards and antipasto plates keep the table occupied between glasses.

Getting there and parking

The address is 225 Shaws Road, Arthurs Creek, reached through the northern suburbs past Hurstbridge. There is ample free on-site parking. Doors open Wednesday and Thursday from late morning for cellar door service, Friday and Saturday stretch to dinner, and Sunday is lunch only; Monday and Tuesday are closed.

Close by with the dogs

St Andrews Hotel is a short drive back down the road and runs a dog-friendly beer garden. Fergusson Restaurant & Winery in nearby Dixons Creek also keeps dogs welcome on its outdoor tables, and Hurstbridge Dog Park gives the dog a free run before lunch if you are coming from that side.

Go on a weekday or early on a weekend if you want the terrace to yourself. Outdoor tables fill fast once the Saturday morning market crowd works its way up the road from St Andrews. Good for a relaxed pair out for a long lunch rather than a quick tasting stop.