WORD OF MOUTH - Cellar Door

Word of Mouth Wines is a small, family-run cellar door on Mount Stirling Road in Canobolas, about ten to fifteen minutes from Orange. It has built a reputation as a genuinely dog-friendly stop, with a fenced area behind the cellar door where dogs can be let off the lead while you taste.

The dog setup. Dogs are welcome on the verandah during tastings and can roam the large fenced area behind the cellar door. They need to be non-aggressive and kept on a lead in the tasting area itself. Water bowls are usually out, but bring your own treats to be sure. There is no accommodation on site, so this is a cellar-door visit rather than an overnight stop.

Known for. Cool-climate wines made on site, plus a food menu that runs to fresh pierogi and a Hungarian-style goulash on weekends - an unusual pairing for a cellar door and part of what people come back for. The atmosphere is casual and intimate rather than polished.

Getting there. It is a flat, easy walk from the on-site parking to the verandah and cellar door, with gravel underfoot in places. Opening hours are generally weekends, often extending Friday to Monday, and bookings are preferred for group tastings.

Nearby with the dogs. Cook Park and the Orange Botanic Gardens are both close by in Orange and allow leashed dogs on their walking paths, good for stretching legs before or after a tasting.

Worth building into an Orange wine day if you want your dog off-lead for a stretch in a fenced space rather than tied up at the table.

Sources

• Word of Mouth Wines - Visit NSW · visitnsw.com
• Word of Mouth - Reviews · tripadvisor.com
• Word of Mouth Wines - Cellar Doors - Orange 360 · orange360.com.au
• Word of Mouth Wines - Book a Wine Tasting · doorexplorer.com
• Travel With Your Pets Made Easy, Orange NSW · bnbmadeeasy.com.au

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.