Sobels Winery

Sobels Winery sits on the corner of Broke and Halls Roads in the middle of Pokolbin, and the building makes it hard to miss: a circular cellar door wrapped by a broad, shaded 180-degree verandah. It is a genuinely pet-friendly cellar door in a region where that is still the exception, and the verandah is where the welcome happens, water bowls already out.

The dog setup

Dogs join you on the shaded verandah that rings the circular tasting room, and on the lawns nearby for lounging. The indoor tasting room is not for pets, but the verandah has the shade and the outlook anyway, so you lose little. The one hard rule is the lead: on at all times, because the property sits right where two roads meet. Fresh water bowls are provided, so you only need to bring the dog and a mat.

Max: Two roads meet right at the corner here. Keep the lead short between the car park and the verandah and you are golden.

The vibe

This is a rustic, unfussy cellar door rather than a destination restaurant complex, and the range is the draw: still, sparkling and fortified wines, with fortifieds and moscato coming up again and again in what regulars talk about. It is an easy mid-loop stop given the central corner position, and the staff have a reputation for being welcoming and happy to explain the winemaking.

Getting there and when to go

It is at the corner of Broke Road and Halls Road, Pokolbin, with on-site parking and open 9:00am to 5:00pm every day. The shaded verandah makes it a sensible pick for a hot Hunter afternoon, and it is calmest early in the day or mid-week before the tour groups start swinging through.

Pair it with

Halls Road makes a natural cluster: De Iuliis Wines and Iron Gate Estate are both close by for the next stop, and Honeytree Estate adds another smaller-scale option.

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