Vinden Wines

Vinden Wines at 138 Gillards Road is a family-owned cellar door where dogs are genuinely part of the visit, welcome inside beside you for the tasting as well as out in the garden. One quirk shapes the whole dog experience: free-ranging peacocks own the grounds, so a firm lead is not a suggestion here, it is the deal.

The dog setup

Well-behaved dogs can join the tasting inside the cellar door and settle in the designated cellar door garden areas outside. The lead rule matters more than usual: peacocks roam the property freely, and a dog that chases a resident bird ruins it for everyone, so keep yours clipped on and close. Bring your own portable water bowl. A calm dog gets the best version of this place, with staff who are happy to have them in the room.

Max: a peacock strolled past the verandah like it owned the place, and my humans held my lead very tight. Good boy behaviour only at Vinden.

Worth knowing

The cellar door opens daily from 10am to 5pm with last tastings at 4pm, and bookings through the website are recommended since the tastings are seated and personal, running about 45 minutes. The range pairs small-batch Hunter staples, shiraz, semillon, chardonnay and tempranillo, with the experimental minimal-intervention Headcase label from winemaker Angus Vinden, all original artwork and left-field batches. There is a bocce court on the lawn if your dog enjoys watching humans lose at their own games.

Getting there and parking

Gillards Road runs off the Broke Road end of Pokolbin and the estate is a short way along, with free parking on site. Give the driveway and lawn a scan on arrival for wandering birds, and keep the lead on from the car.

Pair it with

Tulloch Wines is nearby for a classic Hunter contrast, and Audrey Wilkinson, Hunter Valley adds a view-heavy stop on the same side of the valley.

More options are on the NSW wineries guide and the Pokolbin destinations page.