Poonawatta

Poonawatta is a boutique, family-run cellar door in the Barossa high country at Flaxman Valley, working old-vine Riesling and Shiraz off vines that date back to the 1880s. Dogs are genuinely welcome here, but this is a working farm with livestock and the owners' own animals, so it is a call-ahead kind of place rather than a turn-up-and-wander stop.

Dogs at Poonawatta

Ring ahead on 0448 031 880 or email before every visit with a dog, so the team can arrange a calm introduction to their resident dogs and cats. Dogs stay on leash and under control for the whole visit because there is livestock and wildlife on the property, and owners clean up after their own dogs. Once you are checked in, the tasting gets set up outside, often down on the dam bank, rather than inside the tasting room. Bring your own water bowl and treats, and a calm, well-socialised dog will get the most out of the day.

Max: ring ahead every time, even if you have visited before. This is a working farm with livestock and resident pets, and a surprise dog on the dam bank is not fair on anyone.

What the cellar door pours

The reputation rests on small-batch Eden Valley Riesling and Shiraz from the old vines, and the tasting is a relaxed, loungeroom-style session usually hosted by the owners themselves, who know the blocks vine by vine. Cheese platters are available to go with the flight, which keeps a dog settled at your feet while you work through the range.

Getting there and when to go

The cellar door is at 1227 Eden Valley Road, Flaxman Valley, a short drive from Angaston or the Eden Valley township, with on-site parking. Doors are typically open Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 4.30pm, with other days by appointment, so confirm before you drive out. Weekday afternoons by appointment suit a dog that is unsure around other animals; weekends bring more cellar door traffic, which makes that call ahead matter more. For a full day out, Flaxman is a neighbouring cellar door in the valley, and more dog-friendly pours are listed on the SA wineries guide and the Flaxman Valley destination page.