Krinklewood Organic & Biodynamic Estate

Krinklewood is a certified organic and biodynamic vineyard at 712 Wollombi Road in Broke, known for its Provencal-style gardens, a clipped hedge labyrinth, fountains and French-style wines. It is also one of the Hunter's genuinely dog-friendly cellar doors: dogs are welcome in the open-air courtyard and cellar door area on a leash at all times. Between the gardens, the tasting and the resident animals, it is as much a place to wander as to drink.

The courtyard setup

The tasting happens outdoors in the courtyard rather than an enclosed room, which suits dogs happy to settle at your feet. The lead stays on the whole time, and that is not just venue policy: peacocks roam the grounds freely and the estate's resident Maremma sheepdog, Polare, makes the rounds greeting guests. She is famously fond of cheese and firmly on a diet, so no feeding her no matter how good her begging is. Cheese platters are available for the humans.

Max: keep the lead on around the peacocks and leave Polare's food alone. Loose birds and a resident dog on a diet are two easy ways to start a visit on the wrong foot.

Worth knowing

Krinklewood is one of the Hunter's few certified biodynamic producers, farmed without synthetic chemicals, with a focus on French varieties. The Cezan Trattoria & Bar now runs on the estate for Mediterranean-style lunches, so a tasting can turn into a long one; check whether the trattoria's own seating arrangements work for your dog when you book. The cellar door typically opens Friday to Sunday, with private events sometimes closing it, so book or check ahead before driving out.

Getting there and parking

The estate sits on the scenic Broke-Wollombi Road, reachable from either Cessnock or Singleton, about 15 to 20 minutes west of Pokolbin and two and a half hours from Sydney. On-site parking is easy, with a flat walk to the courtyard. Weekdays are quietest if you can come Friday; weekends bring more cars and more people for your dog to navigate around the tasting tables.

Make a day of it

Broke's cellar doors cluster along the same road. Greenway Wines welcomes dogs on its covered patio under the vines and pours alternative varieties, and Whispering Brook completes the Wollombi Road trio. The village park at Broke is a good leg-stretch stop between tastings.

More options are on the NSW wineries guide and the Broke destination page.