Allandale Winery

Allandale Winery sits on Lovedale Road with the Broken Back Range behind it, and it is one of the Hunter Valley cellar doors that genuinely welcomes dogs rather than merely tolerating them. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are allowed inside the tasting room as well as out, which makes it a reliable stop in any season.

The dog setup

Dogs on-lead are welcome inside the cellar door, including the indoor areas and by the fire in winter, and on the terrace and grounds the rest of the year. Water bowls are usually on hand, and the resident winery dogs greet most arrivals, so a social dog fits in best here.

Flag that you are bringing a dog when you book your tasting, especially for weekends or groups, so staff can seat you sensibly around their own animals.

The vibe

Allandale is a boutique producer going back to 1978, best known for Hunter semillon, including aged releases, and chardonnay, with shiraz and verdelho also on the list. Tastings are personal and unhurried rather than production-line.

Pepsi: the resident dogs run the welcome committee, so let yours say hello before you settle in. It sets the tone for the whole tasting.

Getting there and parking

The cellar door is at 132 Lovedale Road, an easy run off the Hunter Expressway, with on-site parking a short walk from the door. There is no practical public transport out here, so you are driving, which means sorting a designated driver if everyone is tasting.

Pair it with

Lovedale is thick with dog-friendly cellar doors: Stomp! Wines and Capercaillie Wines both welcome leashed dogs, and Emma's Cottage is close by too, so you can string together a full day.

A cooler morning suits dogs best, before the terrace heats up and the weekend crowd builds. More pours are on the New South Wales wineries guide and the Lovedale destination page.