Stumpy Gully Vineyard and Restaurant

Stumpy Gully Vineyard and Restaurant has been pouring on Stumpy Gully Road for two generations, and it has built its dog-friendly reputation the slow way: gardens you can actually sit in, staff who bring a water bowl without being asked, and a restaurant menu with an Asian-fusion bent that gives the cellar door something most Peninsula tasting rooms lack. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the outdoor areas, the gardens and the grounds, but the restaurant dining room stays people only. Leash on, and bring a mat or blanket so your dog has a spot to settle while you taste through the estate wines. Water bowls are usually on hand, though a portable bowl is worth packing for the drive.

Pepsi: found a shady patch of garden by the table and claimed it for the whole afternoon. No complaints from the kitchen.

The vibe

The grounds do a lot of the work here. Vineyard views run wide, the barrel room handles the tastings, and the kitchen plates up arancini, pinot noir and chardonnay matches alongside sangiovese that marks the estate out from the cool-climate crowd. It suits a long lunch rather than a dash-through tasting, so plan the visit accordingly.

Getting there and booking

The address is 1247 Stumpy Gully Road, Moorooduc, just off Peninsula Link and roughly 50 minutes from Melbourne, with parking on site. Book ahead and say you are bringing a dog: outdoor tables are where you want to be and sunny weekends fill quickly.

Pair it with

Moorooduc carries a solid run of dog-friendly cellar doors. Phaedrus Estate welcomes on-lead dogs in its garden tasting area, Chirping Bird Wines is just down the road, and Barmah Park Restaurant and Cellar Door rounds out a day of it. More options sit under Moorooduc and the wider Victoria list.