Degen Estate

Degen Estate is a small, family-run boutique vineyard at 365 Deasys Road, Pokolbin, on the quiet side of the valley away from the Broke Road traffic. It is a relaxed, small-scale cellar door with a genuinely warm attitude to dogs, and the whole setup is built around an unhurried tasting rather than a big-production room.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome with you on the lawns and around the outdoor seating while you taste, and the team has a reputation for spoiling canine visitors with treats and attention. Keep your dog on a lead. The setup is casual, so bring your own water bowl rather than expecting one on hand. One thing to note if you were hoping to stay over: the estate's on-site accommodation is not pet friendly, so this is a day visit with the dog.

Pepsi: This is the calm cellar door in the valley. Shade, lawns, a treat for the dog and nobody rushing you through the list.

The vibe

The wines come from their own vines, with Shiraz and Semillon the familiar picks, and the chocolate cake gets mentioned nearly as often as the chardonnay. There is colouring in for kids and miniature horses on the property that visitors talk about afterwards. It all adds up to a family-feeling stop that suits a dog who prefers calm over crowds.

Getting there and when to go

It is at 365 Deasys Road, Pokolbin, with parking right beside the cellar door. The cellar door typically runs on weekends, roughly 10:00am to 4:00pm, so check ahead or book before you build a mid-week plan around it. In summer, aim for the milder parts of the day if the dog is going to be lounging outdoors.

Pair it with

Nearby boutique options include Tintilla Estate Wines and Piggs Peake Winery, and the dog-friendly verandah at Sobels Winery makes a natural second stop on the same loop.

Find more dog friendly wineries in New South Wales on the PawScapes wineries directory, or see everything open to dogs around Pokolbin.