Tranquil Vale Vineyard

Tranquil Vale Vineyard is a 25-acre, family-run working vineyard on a bend of the Hunter River at 325 Pywells Road, Luskintyre. The father-and-daughter team makes estate-grown Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz, and the cellar door offers tastings and olive oil in a quiet rural setting well away from the main Hunter Valley crowds.

Dogs at Tranquil Vale Vineyard

This is a working farm with resident farm dogs of its own, and visitors regularly meet them around the property. Well-behaved visiting dogs are generally welcome in the outdoor tasting areas on a lead, and you can walk the property, including the vineyard rows, with your dog leashed. As a small family operation, hosts are relaxed about dogs but provide no pet amenities, so bring your own water bowl and treats.

Two cautions: there is livestock on the property, including sheep, so keep your dog close around the paddocks; and if you are booking one of the on-site cottages or the loft rather than visiting for a tasting, confirm the pet policy for your specific room directly with the hosts before you book.

Max: resident farm dogs plus sheep make this a high-distraction stop. Hold the lead near the vineyard rows even if your dog is usually steady.

Worth knowing

The cellar door opens 10am to 5pm Thursday to Sunday and Monday, and closes Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a pool on site for staying guests, and the riverfront location is the quiet drawcard. Because it is one of the only cellar doors in Luskintyre itself, most people pair it with the Lovedale and Pokolbin wineries a short drive south.

Getting there and parking

From Maitland, head west through Lorn and over the Hunter River to Luskintyre, then follow Pywells Road to the property, roughly 15 minutes in total. Parking is on-site and easy, a short walk from the cellar door.

While you're out there

On the drive through Lorn, The Esplanade at Lorn gives your dog an off-leash run along the river. Further afield, Allandale Winery in Lovedale and Oakvale Wines in Pokolbin are cellar doors that suit a dog-friendly tasting circuit.

More options are on the New South Wales dog friendly wineries guide and the Luskintyre destination page.