Rochford Wines Yarra Valley

Rochford is a large, versatile Coldstream estate on the Maroondah Highway with a big cellar door, Isabella's Restaurant, a wine and gin bar, and a calendar of live music and major outdoor concerts. For dog owners it works because the outdoor courtyard and terrace are generous and overlook the vineyard, so a dog gets room rather than a cramped footpath spot. Open daily, 10am to 5pm, it is an easy any-day stop.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating, courtyard, terrace and grounds on a lead at all times, and tastings and food can both be enjoyed out there. They are generally not allowed inside the restaurant or the indoor tasting counter, so plan to sit outside. Water bowls are usually available, but bring your own bottle and bowl to be sure. The scale is the advantage here: even on a busy day there is lawn to spread into, and the property perimeter makes a decent leashed leg-stretch.

Max: check the events page before you drive out. A concert day turns the lawn into a packed, loud crowd, which is a lot for most dogs to settle into.

Worth knowing

The wines to look for are the Yarra Valley pinot noir and chardonnay, and the restaurant is well regarded with plenty of vegetarian options. The flip side of the events calendar is crowds: concert days and Saturday afternoons are the busiest, and a big event day is not the time to bring a nervous dog. Weekdays are calm by a wide margin, which makes a midweek outdoor lunch the sweet spot.

Getting there and parking

The estate is at 878-880 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream, roughly 50 minutes from the Melbourne CBD right where the Yarra Valley cellar door strip begins. Free on-site parking is ample, with accessible parking and an accessible entrance, and the walk from car to terrace is flat and easy with a dog.

Close by with the dogs

You are in the heart of Coldstream wine country: Tokar Estate and Maddens Rise are both close along the same road, and The Yarra Valley Pie Stop is the casual dog-friendly food stop on the strip. Healesville township a little further on has outdoor cafes and on-leash country lanes for a short walk.

More options are on the Victoria wineries guide and the Coldstream destination page.