Kelman Vineyard

Kelman Vineyard at 2 Oakey Creek Road is a small, family-run cellar door on the quiet side of Pokolbin, tucked toward the Mount View end of the valley. It is genuinely pet-friendly rather than nominally so: dogs settle on the grassy surrounds while you taste, and the staff tend to make a fuss of them.

The dog setup

Dogs on leads are welcome around the verandahs and the grassy areas beside the cellar door, and friendly dogs are often welcomed right alongside you for the tasting. Keep yours settled and leashed; the property is a working vineyard with other visitors around on weekends. Water bowls are not guaranteed, so pack a travel bowl and water, especially on warm Hunter afternoons. This is a small, calm room rather than a big commercial door, which suits a relaxed dog well.

Max: the staff came out to say hello to the dog before they poured a single wine. That tells you everything about the place.

Worth knowing

The cellar door runs limited days: Friday from 1pm to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm, closed Monday to Thursday. Book a tasting ahead through the website. The list leans on Hunter classics, semillon and shiraz, with the moscato and blanc de blanc getting frequent mentions, and the outlook over the vines toward Mount View is a big part of the draw. It is the sort of stop to build a slow afternoon around rather than squeeze between big-name doors.

Getting there and parking

Oakey Creek Road branches off near the southern end of Pokolbin, and Kelman sits a short way along it with free parking at the door. It is roughly ten minutes from the main Broke Road strip, and the last stretch is quiet country road, so keep speeds down and watch for wandering wildlife at dusk.

Pair it with

The Mount View side of the valley rewards a slow drive: Brokenwood Wines covers the bigger cellar door experience back in Pokolbin, and the NSW wineries guide lists more doors across the region.

Local options and directions are collected on the Pokolbin destinations page.