Rowlee Wines

Rowlee Wines is a premium boutique estate on Lake Canobolas Road at Nashdale, on the cool foothills of Mt Canobolas about 950 metres above sea level and 10 to 15 minutes from Orange. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the outdoor areas, the vineyard-view deck and patio, which makes it one of the more scenic pet-friendly stops in the Orange wine region.

Dogs at Rowlee

The rule of thumb is lead on, outdoors: the deck and patio are where dogs belong, and smaller, well-behaved dogs are often allowed into the cellar door lounge while larger dogs stay outside. Add a note that you are bringing a dog when you book, or call ahead, so the team can seat you on the deck from the start rather than moving you mid-tasting. The deck can get cold in winter with limited heating, so rug up a short-coated dog, and bring your own water bowl. The Garden Bar runs in the warmer months with wood-fired pizzas, which is the best dog-friendly window of the year.

Max: mention the dog when you book, not when you arrive. Deck tables with a view fill first, and a cold wet afternoon is nobody's tasting.

The tasting

Rowlee pours cool-climate varietals with real altitude character: Nebbiolo, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the core, alongside rarer plantings like Arneis. Tastings run as intimate guided experiences on the deck or in the vineyard, and cheese pairings and wine flights are the usual format. Rowlee Dining & Bar adds seasonal shared plates if you want the visit to become lunch.

Getting there and parking

The estate is at 19 Lake Canobolas Road, Nashdale, with on-site parking at the cellar door. Lake Canobolas itself is about five minutes away for a leashed waterside walk, and the Nashdale cellar door cluster along Lake Canobolas and Cargo roads means several tastings fit in one afternoon without a long drive.

Pair it with

Nearby cellar doors that also work for a dog-in-tow itinerary include See Saw Wine on the same road and Byrne Farm and Printhie Wines Cellar Door nearby. Machin Park Fenced Dog Park covers the off-lead run back in Orange, and Bensons Cafe is a reliable morning stop in town.

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