Walsh & Sons

Walsh & Sons runs a small-batch, minimal-intervention cellar door at 5962 Caves Road in the Wilyabrup sub-region, and its dog policy is stated plainly on the venue's own page: they love their animals and are dog friendly across the outside areas. The outdoor setup, an undercover deck and courtyard lawns looking over the vineyard, does the rest. Open daily 10:30am to 5pm, until 5:30pm Saturdays.

The dog setup

Well-behaved dogs are welcome leashed and supervised in the outdoor areas: the rustic front, the deck and the lawns above the vines. The indoor cellar door is compact, so plan on sitting outside. Water bowls usually appear in the outdoor tasting areas, though bring your own on hot days when the gravel and lawn heat up. Book ahead, especially in a group over six, and say you are bringing a dog so your table lands outside.

Pepsi: deck seat, grazing plate to supervise, and a staff member who asked my name before my owner's. Ten out of ten hospitality.

The vibe

The wines lean to minimal intervention and drinkability, with chenin blanc and grenache among the interesting turns alongside the chardonnay. The tastings are casual seated affairs, and the kitchen partners with local producers on a Margaret River grazing box of smoked meats, Cambray cheeses and relishes. Food trucks join for lunch during peak periods, which the venue posts on its socials.

Getting there and parking

The cellar door sits on Caves Road in Wilyabrup, off the Bussell Highway, with ample gravel parking directly in front. Weekday afternoons are the quiet window for a slow tasting with a dog at your feet.

Pair it with

The Wilyabrup strip holds several more dog-friendly cellar doors: Woody Nook welcomes dogs in its shaded alfresco areas, Clairault Streicker and Lenton Brae round out a run, and Xanadu Wines is close by. More options sit under Margaret River and across Western Australia.