Howard Vineyard

Howard Vineyard is a family-owned Adelaide Hills winery on Bald Hills Road in Nairne, combining a cellar door, the Clover & Stone restaurant, and a resident wine dog greeting guests on the lawns. Estate-grown pinot noir, cabernet franc and riesling anchor the list, alongside the Amos sparkling range. The cellar door opens from 11am daily, running to 4pm on weekdays and 5pm on weekends.

The dog setup

Well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome across the outdoor courtyard, terrace and lawns, which suits a picnic-style visit between tastings. Indoor seating is generally reserved for assistance dogs or at staff discretion, so plan around the courtyard. Water bowls are often put out for canine guests but this varies by season and event bookings, so bring your own supply. Because the venue hosts weddings, check ahead if you are visiting on a weekend; private events can close the courtyard to walk-ins.

The vibe

Clover & Stone runs a modern Australian-Asian menu Wednesday to Sunday, with platters and the much-discussed thrice-cooked potatoes covering the casual end. Food presentation and the lawn setting are the recurring talking points, and weekday visits are calmer with more room to spread out. Between the restaurant, wedding trade and cellar door traffic, weekends fill quickly.

Getting there and parking

53 Bald Hills Road, Nairne, about 25 to 30 minutes from the Adelaide CBD, with ample on-site parking so you are never far from the car with the dog.

Pair it with

For a proper off-leash run before or after, the Woofside Fenced Dog Park is 10 to 15 minutes away, and the Balhannah Dog Park is another option up the valley. Nairne's main street is close by: Maple and Myrtle covers the coffee stop. Other Hills cellar doors to rotate through include Nepenthe Cellar Door in Balhannah and ArtWine in Woodside. More on the South Australia dog friendly wineries page and in the Nairne guide.

Pepsi: a vineyard lawn with a resident dog on site is about as good as it gets between tastings.