Chalk Hill Wines I McLaren Vale wine tastings & events

Chalk Hill Wines is a family-owned cellar door at 56 Field Street in McLaren Vale, with a modern tasting room looking over the vineyards and generous lawns that make it an easy visit with a dog. It is one of the region's more openly dog-welcoming cellar doors, with the wood-fired pizzas of Pizzateca a short drive away on Chalk Hill Road.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the outdoor areas, the lawns and the courtyard, on lead and under control while you taste, but they are not allowed inside the tasting room itself. Settle onto the lawn with vineyard views and mention you are bringing a dog when you book, since outdoor seating is not always guaranteed. Water bowls are usually available, though pack your own as a backup on warm days.

The vibe

The list leans small-batch and adventurous, with grenache and alternative varieties alongside the region's shiraz, and the tasting team knows their wines well. Friday evenings run late with a 7pm close, and the lawn is the place to linger on a weekend afternoon.

Hours run 11am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and Sunday, to 7pm on Friday and 6pm on Saturday. Weekday afternoons are quietest; weekends and the pizza service draw the crowds, so arrive early for a shaded patch of grass.

Getting there and parking

The cellar door sits just off the town centre at 56 Field Street, with on-site parking and flat access from the car park to the lawns. Everything a dog needs is within a short walk of the car.

Pair it with

The paved Shiraz Trail runs through town toward Willunga, an easy on-lead walk past vineyards for before or after a tasting. For more dog-friendly stops, Bec Hardy Wines and Hugh Hamilton Wines are close by, and Sam I Am Cafe in town covers the coffee end of the day.

Browse the South Australian wineries guide or the McLaren Vale destination page for more.

Pepsi: a lawn, a water bowl and a platter within sniffing distance. Chalk Hill understands the brief.