Briar Ridge Vineyard

Briar Ridge Vineyard runs one of the most dog-welcoming cellar doors in the Hunter Valley: the estate allows well-behaved dogs on leash both inside the tasting room and across the outdoor seating, with the mountainside Mount View setting doing the rest of the work.

The dog setup

Dogs stay inside with you at the bar and on the veranda, which matters on hot or wet Hunter days when the outdoor option disappears. There is also a dedicated dog experience on the tasting menu, a mini treat board of all-natural, human-grade goodies you add to your reservation.

Leash and manners are the conditions of entry. Water bowls are generally on hand, but carrying your own water and bowl is still sensible on warm afternoons.

Max: a cellar door that treats the dog as a guest rather than a grey area is rare enough. The treat board seals it.

The tasting

The standard cellar door tasting costs $15 per person and runs through the Varietal, Stockhausen and Limited Release collections; the premium Radica experience is $25. Briar Ridge holds a Halliday five-star rating and is known for its single vineyard semillon.

Tasting hours differ from the shop front: Monday and Wednesday to Saturday run 10am to 5pm with last tastings at 4pm, Sunday is 11am to 4pm, and Tuesday is sales only with no tastings. Groups over 12 should call ahead.

Getting there and parking

The cellar door sits at 593 Mount View Rd, up the steep and scenic road that gives the sub-region its name. Free parking is directly at the door.

Pair it with

The Mount View road is lined with cellar doors, so a two-stop afternoon works well. Over in Pokolbin, De Iuliis Wines, St Clair Wines and Oakvale Wines all sit within an easy drive.

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