Wine House Hunter Valley

Wine House Hunter Valley at 426 McDonalds Road sits on the corner where the Pokolbin wine strips meet, overlooking a quiet lake. It is a multi-winery showcase rather than a single estate, pouring wines from more than fifteen family-owned regional makers under one roof, and for dog owners the outdoor terrace is where it all happens.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor terrace, which looks over the grounds and the lake, and that is where your tasting and platters get served, so you are not shuttling the dog anywhere. Keep yours on a lead and settled around other visitors; the terrace is shared space. Water bowls are often out, but bring your own water and bowl to be safe. Inside the lounge is generally people-only, so this is a fair-weather venue in the truest sense: on a fine day the terrace is one of the better dog seats in Pokolbin.

Pepsi: one table, fifteen wineries, a lake view, and the humans didn't have to drive between stops. Efficient for everyone, especially me.

Worth knowing

Hours are 11am to 5pm, Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, closed Tuesdays. Bookings are recommended, especially for the terrace tables on weekends. The format is the draw: flights and guided tastings that let you compare small producers like Silkman, Margan and Keith Tulloch side by side without moving the car, and a tasting plate to go with if you want lunch at the same table.

Getting there and parking

It sits at the McDonalds Road end near the Broke Road junction, with free parking on site. The terrace is reached on the level from the car park, and the lakeside lawn gives the dog a leg-stretch before or after the tasting.

Pair it with

Brokenwood Wines is just up McDonalds Road for a single-estate follow-up, and Horner Wines is another boutique stop in the same corner of Pokolbin.

The NSW wineries guide and the Pokolbin destinations page list more stops across the valley.